5. How would I know a plastic surgeon from other medical specialty doing cosmetic procedure?

Knowing your doctor is the one of the most important thing you have to do before undergoing any cosmetic procedure. Always inquire about your doctor’s formal training in the field of cosmetic surgery, the institution and length of time the he/ she took the training. Plastic surgeons are those that completed at least five to eight years of formal training in plastic cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in accredited training hospitals that includes the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), University of Sto.Tomas (UST), University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Makati Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center (comprising CONSORTIUM I), Far Eastern University, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Lourdes Hospital and Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center (comprising CONSORTIUM II). This formal training includes three to five years of General Surgery residency and three years of Burn, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery residency. Reconstructive plastic surgery is a prerequisite in training for all plastic surgeons, since most of the basic principles in cosmetic/aesthetic procedure are derived from early reconstructive surgery. Due to increasing interest in aesthetic surgery by the public and doctors alike, there is a lot of cosmetic procedure being done by non-qualified people. Always review your surgeon’s credentials, formal training and qualification. Try to visit their website; your surgeon must be able to provide you details of their training and affiliations in the field of plastic surgery.