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Is Plastic Surgery A Satisfying Career? ASPS Survey Says Yes

An article just posted online ahead of print in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery includes survey data about career satisfaction among ASPS plastic surgeons.

The survey was mailed to 708 plastic surgeons who are members of the ASPS, half of them male and the other half female. Doctors were asked question about career satisfaction such as:

• Was a career in plastic surgery the right choice?
• Would you choose this career again if you had to do it over again?

The results are very positive – it appears that plastic surgery is a very satisfying career in the United States. 93 percent of respondents said it was the right career choice and 78 percent said they would make the choice again if they had to. Only a small percentage said they regretted the choice to become a plastic surgeon.

This information should be considered valuable for both doctors and patients as previous studies found a link between high quality care and the doctor’s satisfaction in his or her job. Such statistics on plastic surgeons may provide a picture of the general health of this profession in America and how it might affect the care you receive.

The most interesting outcomes of the survey were 1) the data regarding differences in satisfaction between surgeons who are “intellectually isolated” and those who are actively involved with their colleagues, and 2) the difference in satisfaction between surgeons who are focused primarily on reconstructive surgery and those who “balanced” their focus between reconstructive and cosmetic operations.

The study is published online ahead of print and you can access it through the journal’s website.

Source Cited

Satisfaction with Career Choice among U.S. Plastic Surgeons: Results from a National Survey. Streu, Rachel; Hawley, Sarah; Gay, Ashley; Salem, Barbara; Abrahamse, Paul; Alderman, Amy K . Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.