Sunday, February 26, 2012

Is money your motivation?

Lately, I have a number emails and questions regarding the salary or the earning potential of plastic surgeons.  Some have also explained to me that money is their key motivation to become a plastic surgeon.   Those of you considering a career in plastic surgery who are focused on money should look elsewhere for a profession.    I say this not because money cannot be made as a plastic surgeon, but because money should not be your motivator for anything, let alone for a long, arduous education and training program path as plastic and reconstructive surgery.   

If money is your object, there are many other ways to start earning money with much less education and training.  Four years of college, 4 years of medical school, 6-8 years of surgical residency training, possible fellowship training  = 14 - 17 + years before you start earning anything of substance.  This means that you are about 30-33 years old.  That's 10 years of serious earning potential gone down the drain.  During those 10 years as a resident, you will be earning barely enough to scrape by and likely will be accumulating more debt.   If money is your key motivator, you will be easily disillusioned.     

The difficult paths in life are filled with obstacles that make money the weakest motivator.   If you embark on a career in plastic and reconstructive surgery, you have to love what you do, have passion, and high ideals.   Money will come with hard work, creating quality, and improving people's lives.   These values will always be rewarded and people will seek your expertise for many years to come -- and that, is something that money cannot buy.

44 comments:

Terry said...

You can a lot of money from being a surgeon, but if money is the only reason why you are a surgeon, you can't consider it as a lifetime profession. It needs passion and commitment to be successful.

Terry Bayer

Antonio said...

Love for the work and the passion to perform ought to be the reasons for one to choose this discipline. Patients will come, and patronage will be established when these two factors are apparent in the practice of this career.


Antonio Pastor

Geoffrey said...

For me, passion and hard work in your chosen field would lead you to success. Success in terms of making people’s lives easier by serving them with utmost care and sincerity. Money only comes second. =)

Geoffrey Lelia

ckim said...

Having more than love for money is definitely right.. Meals consisting of instant noodles, dollar menu and stealing food from conferences is not exactly living the lavish life!

Finella said...

I think the most important part of wanting to undertake any surgical procedure isn't to fulfill the god complex evident in some elements of the medical profession. But to do the job well and bask in the fruits of your labour in regards to successful procedures


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Unknown said...

money is very important in our day to day life, but many duty of surgeon is more than money,
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Jack Sebastian said...

If I were the plastic surgeon who was asked that question, I would personally say yes, but money isn't my one and only motivation to work. Aside from money, the joys and hopes of the patients before and after the procedures also drive me to work more.


Jack Sebastian

Angela Schultz said...

I agree with what your post stated. When it comes to how to become a plastic surgeon, having money as your motivation rarely works out in the long run. There should always be the passion for what you want to do and the "want" and "need" to help other people

ATM Shizzy F'n Mac said...

Do You Get Paid For The Training

Unknown said...

I agree with what you said. You can't be successful in pursuing your career in plastic surgery if money is what motivates you. You need passion and dedication to learn the right practices with sincerity. If money is what you need, you could have just worked right after you graduated high school rather than study for almost 20 years.

Jacinto Hukle

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

There's nothing wrong doing it for money. Why do doctors always like to pretend as if money was never a factor? Perhaps you had the luxury of growing up rich and pursue science/medicine as an intellectual pursuit!
I know some very successful plastic surgeons who did it for the money, but ended up very good at what they do. If you can do it, if you're good at it, you deserve to get lots of money!
You talk about working as if it's easy to get a $200k+ job a year! Ten years of studying is easily compensated by the fact that you are set for life!

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Unknown said...

Money Plays a very important role in our life. Without it we can't survive in this world. So there is nothing wrong if money is your motivation. But at the same time as a doctor in some cases we should not consider money as a highest prior thing.

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Joseph P Whitely said...

That's absolutely true Terry! Money is important to move forward your life. But if you want an identity in the Cosmetic surgery industry, then you need to be dedicated and passionate about the work you do.

Unknown said...

It is kind of hard not to think about the money. I knew a guy that was a plastic surgeon and he had a really nice car. I would say that money is a close second. http://www.cdufresnemd.com/

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I guess that is why the saying is "nothing that is easy is worth it". I think it would be a challenge to become a plastic surgeon but, I think it would pay off in the end. It would also be interesting to see what you can earn. http://www.nooneplasticsurgery.com

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