I want to become a plastic surgeon, but is there a way to avoid the 5yrs of residency?

Question

So I've read in an article that in most states, that any MD can perform plastic surgery without board certification. That means anyone from gynecologist to possibly even your dentist may be able to legally perform cosmetic surgery procedures. ABPS (American Board of Plastic Surgery) qualification includes graduation from an accredited medical school and completion of five years of additional training as a resident surgeon, three in general surgery and two in plastic surgery. So what are the limitations of the cosmetic surgical procedures that can be perfomed by MDs?

Answer 1

That does vary by state, and your dentist isn't an MD, so they can't do cosmetic surgery. However, I would really worry about anyone wanting to do surgery the easy way! There have been a lot of cases lately of doctors killing patients because they weren't properly trained in that area. Keep in mind that for any kind of specialty, you have to do at least 4 years of residency, so you would at most be saving 1 year, not 5!

Answer 2

MDs must also complete a residency.

Limitations will vary by state certification... I suggest looking them up for the state in which you plan to practice.