Plastic surgery refers to a medical specialty that uses invasive procedures to change, repair, or restore a person’s appearance or body function. Its main goal is to correct body parts or areas that have become dysfunctional due to trauma, birth disorders, diseases, and burns. 

All of these reconstructive and cosmetic procedures may only be performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon.

After gaining significant clinical experience and knowledge, a plastic surgeon can also opt to become a plastic surgery consultant in Miami, like Dr. Thomas Zaydon.

As a very qualified Board Certified plastic surgeon with over 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Zaydon is well-positioned to act as a plastic surgery consultant. 

Plastic surgery consultancy is provided in several different formats, including serving as a Plastic Surgery Expert Witness, a Plastic Surgery Expert Medical Advisor, as well as performing Independent Medical Evaluations and Peer Reviews.

For specific information about each of these roles, please read the descriptions below and click on the links for more detailed information.

What Is a Plastic Surgery Consultant?

Generally, a consultant in the medical field refers to a doctor who has higher expertise or seniority than general or primary care practitioners. They are doctors who specialize in a specific area of medicine, such as plastic surgery.

Furthermore, consultants are medical practitioners who have gained ample clinical experience in the medical field through years of clinical work, training, and additional education. 

How to Become a Plastic Surgery Consultant?

Before becoming a plastic surgeon consultant, you must first accomplish more than ten years of education in medical school. Consultants start their medical training the same way as all other doctors一and that’s by finishing 4 to 5 years of pre-medical education or obtaining a Bachelor’s degree. 

Here are the detailed steps of what goes next to become a consultant in plastic surgery:

• obtain a doctor of medicine degree

After finishing your undergraduate studies, one must obtain a doctor of medicine degree. This will take at least four years, precisely two years of medical education and another two years for clinical rotation.

• earn a medical license

Next is to pass the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to earn a medical license. This allows you to become a licensed physician or practice medicine legally.

• finish a residency program 

This includes three years of clinical rotation in general surgery followed by at least three years of residency training in plastic surgery. The plastic surgery residency program requires you to go through clinical rotations in the plastic surgery department of several hospitals. 

• complete a subspecialty fellowship 

This one-year program allows you to specialize in one or more of the several areas of plastic surgery. This includes cosmetic surgery, microvascular reconstruction, hand surgery, and more.

• obtain a certification from an accredited organization 

Such board certifications will help signify your expertise in a specific specialty or subspecialty. Some examples of particular certification a plastic surgeon must obtain include:

• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) certification

• American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) certification

After completing all requirements and credentials, you must then work in accredited or state-licensed surgical facilities and hospitals. This will enable you to gain enough experience in plastic surgery while also continuing your medical education through training and seminars.

After gaining superior clinical experience and knowledge, you may now consider a path towards plastic surgery consultancy. A wide range of expertise and clinical experience is a huge part of becoming a consultant. So it’s crucial to earn significant years in your practice to establish a career as a plastic surgery consultant in Miami.

What Does a Plastic Surgery Consultant Do?

Basically, a consultant can still legally perform cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries in hospitals and accredited facilities. Additionally, they can still opt to see patients on a daily basis, diagnose diseases, plan treatment strategies, and monitor postoperative prognosis. 

However, consultants can also opt not to do this medical practice and just focus on their consultancy. Being a plastic surgeon consultant means other doctors can refer you to their patients who need specialized care and treatment.

For example, a general practitioner can refer you, a consultant, to their patient because they lack the necessary skills and training to treat a particular condition. They can also get your help to verify a diagnosis or get your second opinion on a specific surgical case.

Furthermore, plastic surgery consultants also help in the legal side of the fence. They can serve as expert witnesses, medical advisors, or peer reviewers. Here’s an in-depth look at each of these ventures: