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  1. Plastic surgery

    Plastic surgeons restore form and function following illness or trauma. 

    Training usually starts with a five year first degree in medicine and two years of foundation training. You'll then do two years of core training (CT1-2), followed by six years of specialist training (ST3-8). This period of training will include completing your royal college exams. Length of training can vary according to your circumstances.
    Working hours should not exceed 48 hours but some doctors work longer. Some on call work may be necessary. The basic salary ranges from £29,384 to £34,012. Once you start your specialty training as a plastic surgeon employed by the NHS, you can expect to earn a salary of at least £40,257, which can increase to between £84,559 and £114,003 as a consultant.
    You'll need excellent communication skills and be emotionally resilient, have a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure. You'll have the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams and have excellent problem-solving and diagnostic skills. As a plastic surgeon, you'll have: a high degree of manual dexterity; superb hand-eye co-ordination; excellent vision; visuospatial awareness and the physical stamina to cope with the demands of surgery.
    In 2021 there were 543 plastic surgeons in England. There were 190 applications for 41 specialty training places (a competition ratio of 4.63). You could specialise or conduct research in areas such as paediatric plastic surgery, hand surgery, or cancer surgery and reconstruction. You could teach medical or postgraduate students.
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