Plastic Surgeon Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the plastic surgeon job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements that you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the plastic surgeon role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Plastic Surgeon Do?

Plastic surgeons are medical professionals who specialize in the repair or reconstruction of various parts of the body to improve appearance.

The plastic surgeon job description entails helping patients enhance their physical features for aesthetic or reconstructive purposes.

In performing their duties, plastic surgeons carry out surgical and non-surgical procedures to enhance patients’ outward appearance.

Some of their non-surgical services include administration of botox injections to reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles, application of chemical peels to wear off old facial skin, and laser resurfacing to remove skin flaws such as warts, crow’s feet and birthmarks.

Plastic surgeons earn a lot from making people mostly celebrities to look young and attractive. They achieve this through aesthetic or cosmetic surgery.

These surgeons usually specialize in one or more areas of cosmetic surgery such as breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, dermatoplasty, liposuction, and tummy tuck.

They play an essential role in boosting confidence and self-esteem through improved looks.

As part of their responsibilities, plastic surgeons perform reconstructive surgeries to restore normal appearance to patients with congenital or circumstantial deformity.

They insert implants or plates to support the bone structure and also take skin grafts to repair muscle/skin damage as a result of burns.

Their work description also entails conducting surgeries to correct birth defects such as cleft lip, polydactyly, syndactyly, and craniofacial anomalies. They may obtain skin grafts from the recipient or from a human/animal donor.

In fulfilling their role, plastic surgeons work with various medical personnel such as nurses, anesthesiologists, and other experts as needed.

They explain to patients the details of a surgery as well as give them post-operative recommendations to ensure proper healing.

The provision of rehabilitative treatment to restore mobility to body parts such as the hand is also part of the description of plastic surgeons.

To work as a plastic surgeon, you will require to have a doctorate degree in medicine or osteopathy.

Some of the qualities needed to be effective on the job include physical dexterity, attention to details, and problem-solving skills.

Plastic Surgeon Job Description Example/Template

Plastic surgeons perform various functions as they strive to help patients improve their appearance.

The typical tasks, duties, and responsibilities these surgeons usually perform are shown in the job description example below:

• Perform invasive surgeries to correct physical deformities in patients
• Administer non-surgical treatment to enhance outward beauty
• Synthesize skin grafts from integra or obtain them from recipient/donor
• Carry out pediatric plastic surgery to treat congenital defects such as cleft palate and polydactyly in children
• Perform microsurgery to transfer tissues to reconstruction sites (head/hand) where they are missing
• Examine and diagnose patients to identify an abnormality and determine suitable course of treatment
• Ensure compliance with establishing surgical techniques during plastic surgery
• Direct and coordinate the activities of nurses, assistants and residents
• Examine operating room and medical instruments to ensure they are clean and sterile
• Confer with other plastic surgeons and medical professionals to exchange ideas
• Use photographs and verbal descriptions to identify patients’ visual expectations and set a reference point
• Inject patients with botox to reduce muscle activity and temporarily lessen appearance of facial wrinkles
• Educate patients on the risks associated with a procedure as well as proffer recommendations on post-operative requirements
• Follow up on patients after surgery to track their healing process and personal adjustment to treatment
• Install prosthetic devices on patients to allow for restoration of appearance.

Requirements – Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge – for Plastic Surgeon Job

If you are interested in working as a plastic surgeon, the following are the necessary requirements you may have to meet for most employers to accept your application for the job:

• Education and Training: To become a plastic surgeon, you require an undergraduate degree in a relevant science discipline, then a 4-year doctorate degree in medicine or osteopathy. You are required to complete a 5-year residency program, then a 2-year fellowship program for a specialty in plastic surgery. State licensure is also required for practice
• Physical Dexterity: Plastic surgeons are able to operate a range of equipment and tools to perform cosmetic surgery
• Attention to detail: They are given to details and are able to carry out delicate processes to give patients their desired appearance
• Problem-solving Skill: They perform surgical and non-surgical procedures to meet the physical requirements of patients.

Conclusion

If you are an employer hiring for the plastic surgeon position, you can make a good job description for attracting the best candidates for the job by applying the sample copy given in this post as a template.

Individuals interested in the plastic surgery career will also find this post valuable in learning about the duties and responsibilities that make up the role. Having such information will better prepare them for the career.