A new survey of doctors suggests that plastic surgeons are “happier at work” more often (41%) than doctors in any other specialty. At CareerExplorer, we conduct an ongoing survey of millions of people and ask them how satisfied they are with their careers. It turns out that plastic surgeons rate their professional happiness with 4.1 out of 5 stars, placing them in the 6% of the best careers.
While 96% of plastic surgeons say they would choose the specialty again, COVID-19 had a significant impact on their happiness, according to Medscape's most recent report on the lifestyle, happiness and burnout of plastic surgeons
.Before the pandemic, 70% said they were happy, but now that figure has fallen to 58%. The authors reviewed the literature on the psychological and psychosocial outcomes of people undergoing cosmetic surgery to determine if elective cosmetic procedures improve psychological well-being and psychosocial functioning and if there are identifiable predictors of an unsatisfactory psychological outcome.
They searched appropriate computerized databases to find studies that evaluated psychological and psychosocial status before and after elective cosmetic surgery.
They identified 37 relevant studies on various cosmetic procedures that they used disparate methodologies. In general, patients were satisfied with the outcome of their procedures, although some showed transient psychological disorders and others more lasting.Factors related to a poor psychosocial prognosis include youth, male gender, unrealistic expectations regarding the procedure, previous unsatisfactory cosmetic surgery, minimal deformity, motivation based on relationship problems, and a history of depression, anxiety, or personality disorder. Some studies also recognized that body dysmorphic disorder is a predictor of poor prognosis, a conclusion that is reinforced by reference to psychiatric literature. The authors conclude that, although most people seem to be satisfied with the outcome of cosmetic surgical procedures, some are not, so an attempt should be made to detect these people in cosmetic surgery settings. Ninety percent of retired surgeons said they would choose to return to practicing as plastic surgeons.
Of the 10.0% who would not have chosen to return to practice as a plastic surgeon, 57.1% answered that they would have chosen to practice in a different medical specialty (usually orthopedic surgery) and 42.9% would have opted for a completely non-medical career. Retired plastic surgeons are interested in collaborating with the plastic surgery community and demonstrate an ongoing interest in the future of the field. A survey was distributed to 825 retired plastic surgeons in the United States that consulted plastic surgeons who have retired from full-time surgical practice to reflect on their careers and provide advice to practicing plastic surgeons. The findings will help lay the groundwork for future initiatives to connect the plastic surgery community with retired plastic surgeons, who have much to offer in terms of surgical technique, office management and general professional advice.
The study included responses from nearly 37,000 patients, including more than 400 from the authors' plastic surgery department. They write: In the field of outpatient plastic surgery, patients feel more satisfied if they feel that their doctor provides them with compassionate and coordinated care. Two hundred and ten invited plastic surgeons (98%) confirmed that they had retired from full-time surgery or were one year away from retiring. The main quantitative findings of this study demonstrate the demography of this group of retired surgeons, comprised mostly of men, and those who have completed their training in general surgery before training in plastic surgery and who have experienced a “combination of general plastic surgery” rather than an early specialization.
In total, 6.7% answered that they had trained in another surgical subspecialty (otorhinolaryngology, orthopedic surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery or neurosurgery) and had then completed a residency in plastic surgery. 71 percent of plastic surgeons said they were satisfied, and public health and preventive medicine doctors came second, with 69%. There are thousands of retired plastic surgeons who have practiced for many decades; they have witnessed changes in political regimes, technological advances and the evolution of health care; they are able to provide the plastic surgery community with the vision they had so hard to obtain from their careers and lives. Plastic surgeons are second only to orthopedic surgeons when it comes to living in large houses.
23% say they live in a house larger than 5,000 square feet. By learning from and about the past, the plastic surgery community can rediscover existing strategies that could help address the office-wide and system-wide difficulties faced by many surgeons today. Involving these surgeons in academic and social initiatives would go a long way in strengthening and strengthening the plastic surgery community. While the most exhausted doctors are those who work in emergency medicine (60%) and intensive care (56%), 40% of plastic surgeons report feeling exhausted.
It follows that there is no “single” mentoring or professional planning, since each surgeon and trainee has different perspectives and circumstances and, therefore, the advice given is not generalizable to all members of the plastic surgery community.
