Cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery are not the same. What Sydney cosmetic surgeons do may significantly vary from what is being expected from the city’s plastic surgeons. Many plastic surgeons do cosmetic surgery, which is the reason why the term “plastic surgery” and “cosmetic surgery” are interchangeably used. These fields of surgery could have a similar foundation but they branch out differently. In this article, we’ll focus on the primary differences between cosmetic and plastic surgery and the different qualification and training requirements that cosmetic and plastic surgeons in Sydney must fulfill.
Objectives
Both plastic and cosmetic surgery intend to enhance the body of a patient. However, there’s a fundamental difference between the two. Cosmetic surgery is primarily enhancing appearance. The surgery’s techniques, driving principles, and procedures help to improve a patient’s appearance in a predetermined way. The major goals are improving aesthetics, proportion, and appeal. Usually, cosmetic surgery is performed on the patient’s head, neck and body. The procedure is completely optional since the areas to be treated are already functioning before the surgery.
Plastic surgery focuses on repairs and reconstruction or restoration of function and form. The field dedicates itself to the service of people with burns, birth disorders, disease, and trauma. The primary objective is to rectify the body’s dysfunctional areas, which is why the procedure is considered “reconstructive”.
Training Requirements
Two requirements need to be fulfilled if you want to become a Sydney-based cosmetic surgeon. First, a medical degree is a must. The degree is basically an accredited university course that usually lasts for four or more years. In addition, all medical graduates should go through a minimum of a year of supervised internship practice. This entails training across different medical disciplines. Another requirement is being a member of the Australasian Society of Cosmetic Medicine (ASCM), a cosmetic medical group, to make sure the practitioner undergoes continuous training in his domain of choice.
A plastic surgeon in Sydney should fulfill a few more requirements, besides the education and training requisites aforementioned. After degree completion, the doctor should go through Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) training to get qualified in the field of plastic surgery. This qualification procedure entails at least eight years of post-graduate surgical training. A maximum of five years of this eight-year training period is invested in regular surgical training, and the remaining years spent on specialty cosmetic and plastic surgery training. After training completion, the doctor is awarded the FRACS (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) title. Qualified plastic surgeons who have undergone RACS training could become an ASPS (Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons) member.