What Degree Is Required to Become a Plastic Surgeon?

The path to becoming a licensed plastic surgeon is long and tedious. It requires eight years of education after high school and four to eight more years of residency service before you can receive your licensing. Here are the degrees you would need to earn along the way.

High School Diploma

The first degree required on the path to becoming a plastic surgeon is the high school diploma or GED.

BS Degree

Many undergraduate universities offer a Pre-med Bachelors of Science degree, but in many cases a generic BS degree combined with a decent MCAT score will be enough to gain acceptance to medical school.

Medical Doctor MD Degree

After receiving your BS Degree, you need to take the MCAT, get accepted to graduate school, and then graduate from graduate school and receive your Medical Doctor M.D. Degree.

Residency

A residency is when you practice medicine on a modest pay scale under the supervision of a licensed a physician. Once you have completed a residency in urology,neurosurgery, orthopedic and otolaryngology you may do a two to three year plastic surgery residency.

Licensure

The USMLE, also known as the United States Medical Licensing Examination is a national examination that must be taken as the last step before you can officially become a plastic surgeon.