Volunteer Cosmetic Surgery Student

Cosmetic surgery is a fast growing industry, due to more and more people becoming concerned with their looks and the ageing process. Thus, it is a profession that is becoming more competitive, and which requires a great level of skill and experience to stand out in the crowd. It is best to get your foot in the door as soon as possible by asking for any voluntary work experience placements at local hospitals and clinics. This will enable you to learn the techniques involved in the surgical process, and to come to a decision whether or not this is a career you can see yourself working in.

Duties include

Typical responsibilities include:

• Explaining the surgical process to ease the patient.
• Collecting and analysing referral notes about the patient.
• Working alongside other surgical attendants and nurses.
• Working with patients of varying backgrounds and ages.
• Performing surgery on different parts of the body, sometimes for long periods of time.
• Ensuring your hand skills remain at a good level.
• Working on traumas, injuries, ailments and degenerative conditions.
• Ensuring utensils are sterilised and prepped for surgery.
• Making sure you are up-to-date with any surgical developments.
• Ensuring that your hands are clean and that the spread of germs is prevented.

Skills and education required

Cosmetic surgery is something we often hear about in reference to the latest boob job a celebrity has had. This may somewhat tarnish its reputation, but this is a very demanding form of medicine. It requires utmost precision and technique, which can only be achieved through hard work and many years of experience. A degree in medicine is required, which will offer practical and theoretical elements. This will give you the chance to branch off into areas of cosmetic surgery, and can help you to find whether this is the speciality for you. To enter a medical degree you will need excellent GCSE and A Level results, or other accepted qualifications.

Skills required include attention to detail, excellent manual skills, quick thinking, ability to work under pressure and the desire to keep up-to-date with new treatments. Voluntary work experience is the best way to advance in the medical profession, as this will demonstrate that you have learned the processes involved at clinics, but also that you are willing to work hard to accomplish your goals. Whether you are thinking about doing a medical degree or are currently undertaking one, voluntary work experience is always a valuable asset. Useful websites include the Health Professionals Council, NHS Careers and NHS Jobs.