Plastic surgery
Plastic surgeons restore form and function following illness or trauma.
They also perform aesthetic or ‘cosmetic’ surgery which changes appearance or form.
Life as a plastic surgeon
You’ll treat the whole body and an interesting mix of emergency and non-life-threatening operations in children and adults.
You’ll mainly work on reconstructive surgery in the NHS on cases such as breast reconstruction after cancer or burns, surgery for congenital conditions and trauma surgery after accidents and violent incidents. If you do cosmetic or aesthetic surgery it could include facelifts, surgery to treat protruding ears or eyelid surgery.
Your surgery will be varied, covering everything from brief operations under local anaesthetic to lengthy, complex surgery involving collaboration with other surgical specialists and long-term follow-up with patients. Your working week will also include outpatient clinics, ward rounds, pre-operative meetings with patients and monitoring of cases after surgery.
You can expect to work on a mixture of planned cases such as cancer surgery through to emergency cases for trauma, complex wounds or burns, which can sometimes mean callouts at night.
It’s an exciting time to be involved in plastic surgery with new developments in areas such as tissue engineering, the development of scar-free wound healing and facial and hand transplants. Research is at the forefront of this specialty and most plastic surgery units in the UK contribute to this.
How much can I earn?
You’ll first earn a salary when you start your foundation training after medical school. Find out details of current salary ranges for foundation and specialty training, SAS doctors and consultants on the 'Pay for doctors' page.
How about the benefits?
- make a difference
- flexible and part-time working
- high income early in your career
- work anywhere in the world
- excellent pension scheme
- good holiday entitlement
- NHS discounts in shops and restaurants
Must-have skills
- excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, and patients and their families
- emotional resilience, a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure
- teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams
- problem-solving and diagnostic skills
- outstanding organisational ability and effective decision-making skills
- first-class time and resource management for the benefit of patients
- a high degree of manual dexterity
- superb hand-eye co-ordination, excellent vision, and visuospatial awareness
- physical stamina to cope with the demands of surgery
Entry requirements
Your first step is medical school. Typically, you’ll need excellent GCSEs and three A or A* passes at A level including chemistry for a five-year undergraduate degree in medicine. Many medical schools also ask for biology and others may require maths or physics.
If you already have a degree, you could study for a four-year postgraduate degree in medicine.
You’ll need to pass an interview and admissions test. You’ll be asked to show how you demonstrate the NHS values such as compassion and respect.
Some medical schools look to recruit a mix of students from different backgrounds and geographical areas, so your educational and economic background and family circumstances could be considered as part of your application.
"I really love the breadth of work in plastic surgery and the fact that you see people of all ages from babies to elderly people. Plastic surgeons treat the whole body and also have an interesting mix of emergency and non life-threatening operations."
What are my chances of starting a career in plastic 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).
How to become a plastic surgeon
After medical school, you’ll join the paid two-year foundation programme where you’ll work in six placements in different settings.
After your foundation programme, you can apply for paid specialty training to become a plastic surgeon, which will take a minimum of six years.
You may be able to train part time, for example for health reasons or if you have family or caring responsibilities.
Where a career as a plastic surgeon can take you
You could:
- specialise or conduct research in areas such as paediatric plastic surgery, hand surgery, treating congenital conditions such as cleft lip and palate or cancer surgery and reconstruction
- teach medical students or postgraduate students in training
- get involved in research at universities, the NHS or private sector
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Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Coventry, CV2 2DX
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Nottingham, NG5 1PB
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts
-
Consultant Burns and Plastic Surgeon
Birmingham, B15 2TH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Plastic Surgery
Bristol, BS10 5NB
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- North Bristol NHS Trust
-
Consultant in Plastic Surgery - Interest in Breast Reconstruction
Bristol, BS10 5NB
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- North Bristol NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Plastic Surgeon with an interest in Skin & Trauma
Salisbury, SP2 8BJ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
-
Senior Physiotherapist – Burn & Plastics and Hand Therapy
Aylesbury, HP21 8AL
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Patient Pathway Coordinator (CAT 1 ENT, Plastics & OMF)
Henley-on-Thames, RG9 2DR
- Salary :
- £27485.00 to £30162.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant Plastics with a SI in lower limb trauma and hands
East Grinstead, RH19 3DZ
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Paediatric Surgeon Interest in GI Surgery
Hull, HU3 2JZ
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Surgeon in Oral & Maxillo Facial Surgery
London, E9 6SR
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Hand Surgeon
Doncaster, DN40TG
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- HealthHarmonie
-
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Plymouth, PL6 8DH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
-
Consultant Spinal Surgeon
Sheffield, S11 8UX
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- One Health Group
-
Locum Podiatric Surgeon
King's Lynn, PE30 4ET
- Salary :
- £55690.00 to £62682.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHSFT
-
Consultant Transplant Surgeon
London, W12 0HS
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Consultant Urological Surgeon
Blackburn, BB2 3HH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Shepton Mallet, BA4 4LP
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Practice Plus Group
-
OMFS Consultant Surgeon
Plymouth, PL6 8DH
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
-
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Southampton, SO16 6YD
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust
-
Consultant Urological Surgeon
London, E11 1NR
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barts Health NHS Trust
-
Consultant ENT Surgeon
Cottingham, HU16 5JQ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Reading, RG1 5AN
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Dermatology Surgeon
Grimsby, DN31 2BH
- Salary :
- £105000.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- HCRG Care Group
-
Consultant ENT Surgeon
St Helens, WA9 3DA
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Consultant Urological Surgeon
Dartford, DA2 8DA
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Urological Surgeon
Oxford, OX3 7LE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist Surgeon
London, W12 0HS
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Consultant Urological Surgeon - Stone
London, E11 1NR
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barts Health NHS Trust
-
Consultant Oncoplastic Breast surgeon
Croydon, CR7 7YE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
-
Consultant Renal Transplant Surgeon
Portsmouth, PO6 3LY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
-
Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon
Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5NY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Medway NHS Foundation Trust
-
Locum Consultant Colorectal Surgeon
Portsmouth, PO6 3LY
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Locum
- Employer :
- Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
-
Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon
Colchester, CO4 5JL
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
-
Treatment Doctor / Surgeon - 15 hours
Birmingham, B30 1DB
- Salary :
- £101000.00 to £151000.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS)
-
Locum Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon
Royal Stoke, ST4 6QG
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust
-
Locum Consultant Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon
Stockton on Tees, TS19 8PE
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
-
General Ophthalmologist and Cataract Surgeon
Watford, WD17 2UB
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- CHEC
-
Locum Consultant in Orthopaedics (Knee Surgeon)
Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7QB
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant General Surgery with interest in Colorectal Surgery
Harrogate, HG2 7SX
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant Spinal Surgeon - Specialising in Spine Deformity
Stoke on Trent, ST4 6QG
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust
-
Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon (Facial Deformity & TMJ)
Tooting, London, SW17 0QT
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Trust Locum Consultant Surgeon with Parathyroid interest
Conquest, TN37 7RD
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145479.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Paramedic - Fairfield Surgery
Port Talbot, SA12 7BJ
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- GP Practice in Wales
-
HCA GP Surgery
West Bromwich, B70 8HQ
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Dr.Singh's Surgery
-
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon – Upper Limb or Shoulder & Elbow
Shepton Mallet, BA4 4LP
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Practice Plus Group
-
Pharmacy Technician - Centre Surgery
Hinckley, LE10 1DS
- Salary :
- £27481.13
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hinckley And Bosworth Medical Alliance Ltd
-
Patient Advisor - Central Surgery
Surbiton, KT6 6EZ
- Salary :
- £12.21
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Kingston GP Chambers
-
GP - North Petherton Surgery.
Bridgwater, TA6 6LX
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Symphony Healthcare Services Limited
-
Consultant in Colorectal Surgery
Exeter, EX2 5DW
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
-
Advanced Clinical Pharmacist - Surgery
Liverpool, L7 8XP
- Salary :
- £55690.00 to £62682.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Vascular Surgery
Plymouth, PL6 8DH
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
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These organisations have further information about being a plastic surgeon, particularly as your career progresses. Take a look.
British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
British Association of Plastic and Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons
British Society for Surgery of the Hand
Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
And hear from someone already working as a plastic surgeon.
David Ward - Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Leicester Royal Infirmary