Reputable Chicago Plastic Surgeon Talks About Her Job

As a careers advisor I really enjoy talking to people with different professions, to find out more about their job, their experiences and their day-to-day life. Last month I was fortunate enough to meet a reputable Chicago plastic surgeon, who was kind enough to speak to me about her job, the demands of it and what her best and worst parts are of being a plastic surgeon.

If you have dreams of one day taking on such a role as plastic surgery, here is what this leading professional had to say about her own position, and its demands.

Best Part About Cosmetic Surgery

Contrary to what I previously thought, the surgeon told me that her favorite part of the job was when she works on medical patients, rather than those looking to improve or augment their body for personal reasons. Most cosmetic surgeons have a foot in both camps when it comes to practicing on medical patents and private patients. What the surgeon told me about this was that operating on someone who has been burned or who has been damaged in an accident, is far more rewarding than operating on someone who is looking to improve their body.

Worst Part About Cosmetic Surgery

Whilst the surgeon spent much time talking about how much she loved her job, she did concede that the amount of hours which she puts in is the worst part about the job. This lady has a husband and 2 children who she doesn’t get to see very often owing to the demands of the job itself. This is an important consideration to make if you do plan on studying to become a plastic surgeon, the amount of time which you will have to spend doing the job itself.

What The Job Entails

Surprisingly, the biggest part of the job is not actually completing surgery. The surgeon stated to me that what she does more than anything else is speaking, speaking to clients, speaking to patients, as well as communicating with other professionals about particular cases. After talking, the surgeon tells me that she spends a great deal of time studying new techniques and advancements in the field. Without placing this time into studying, the surgeon tells me that she could easily get left behind, given the speed with which new technology is arriving. Finally, the rest of the time in her day is taken up with surgeries although with her higher status, she usually only performs this on high risk cases.

Benefits

The benefits of this job are that each day you are helping someone to feel better about themselves, be it through fixing a problem which a client has had for a long time, or improving the health status of a patient that has been involved in trauma. The surgeon tells me that whilst many will allude to the financial reward of such a position, it is in fact the personal reward which she treasures most.