No Cosmetic

[tcar18]

Up to this point I have been very into ortho (all of my research is ortho)
but I had the opportunity to watch a plastic surgeon do a free tissue transfer and was absolutely enthralled by it.

From there I have done some digging and reading, spoken to a few people.

I am very drawn to all of the wound care, microsurgery, burns, traumatic and congenital reconstruction stuff but have no interest what so ever in cosmetic.

Is it possible to do only reconstructive surgery as a plastic surgeon?

are there residency programs that are better suited to a such a career.

Any advice is appreciated.

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[cdql]

Up to this point I have been very into ortho (all of my research is ortho)
but I had the opportunity to watch a plastic surgeon do a free tissue transfer and was absolutely enthralled by it.

From there I have done some digging and reading, spoken to a few people.

I am very drawn to all of the wound care, microsurgery, burns, traumatic and congenital reconstruction stuff but have no interest what so ever in cosmetic.

Is it possible to do only reconstructive surgery as a plastic surgeon?

are there residency programs that are better suited to a such a career.

Any advice is appreciated.

I'm pretty sure you could run your own practice any way you'd like. In fact, it's probably advantageous to state that you don't like cosmetics when applying (if that is actually how you feel).

That being said, I don't see the harm in mixing the two. Cosmetics, while not as exciting or as rewarding as reconstructive surgery, is what brings in the dough.

 

[thenavysurgeon]

i don't understand why stating that one is 'interested' in cosmo is bad thing.

there is a real clinical need for good cosmo surgeons. blephs, rhinos, abdmoniplasites...despite their 'cosmetic' nature, these procedures address real clinical problems that patients are concerned about. some one 'has to' be able to do them. why not make it 'you', if you're interested.

if you're good a cosmo, and skilled at dealing with this particular patient population (sometimes a very challenging patient), a plastics group or department is lucky to have you.

i agree, the ultimate plastics practice does it all, cosmo, recon, hand...its what makes plastics such a dynamic and interesting field.

i can't wait to start training. i'm so fired up.

xTNS

 

[TheThroat]

Up to this point I have been very into ortho (all of my research is ortho)
but I had the opportunity to watch a plastic surgeon do a free tissue transfer and was absolutely enthralled by it.

From there I have done some digging and reading, spoken to a few people.

I am very drawn to all of the wound care, microsurgery, burns, traumatic and congenital reconstruction stuff but have no interest what so ever in cosmetic.

Is it possible to do only reconstructive surgery as a plastic surgeon?

are there residency programs that are better suited to a such a career.

Any advice is appreciated.

Another route, if you really love recon, is an oto residency followed by a fellowship in microvascular H&N recon. Obviously, you don't do burns, congen, etc, but its still some serious recon, sans the cosmo stuff (not that there is anything wrong with cosmo).