What is cosmetic or plastic surgery
In the pure sense a "plastic" surgeon is a person who has completed the training to enter an organisation or surgeon who deals with tissue injuries. The greastest part of their long training is to deal with the intricate surgeries of the hands, repair of horrific injuries and burns treatments. The procedures that are desired to change the appearance of a person, who does not have injuries, etc are often and after training exercise. "Cosmetic Surgeons" have been those doctors who have developed those training experiences either through "apprenticeship" learning or specialised courses. To complicate the matter there are many organisations representing a wide range of special interest groups with the umbrella of procedures to change people appearance. In some countries there are even attempts by groups representing the non "plastic doctors" to get government recognition as "specialist" and thus equal to the training of the "plastic" fraternity.
My personal opinion is that this constant "turf war" about who is "best" to perform the procedures and who is the safest is about tyring to cut the market for people who want to change their appearance into pieces and protecting the piece established players have. As the procedures have developed the "plastic" fraternity who have control of who gains access to hospital theatre time have attempted to reduce the attempts of the "cosmetic" fraternity to gain access to perform the procedures. The arguments have been about safety and outcomes but in practical terms the public does not care. The research shows that people want the work done and though either side basks in the adverse outcomes of the other that makes the press (generally though "leaks" from on side or the other). I think that a change is called for!
What is the next step?
I I believe that if the people have a demand then the profession should meet it. Put simply: not argue about the piece of the pie but make the pie bigger. Improve and widen the training. Allow more people to have the procedures and make the procedure better and safer and thus insurances will fall and the cycle continues as more procedures are done. That is how I have gone about gaining my skill set and you can read about it in the next sections.
