Education · 1 of 5

The path

The longest training on this site. Fourteen years minimum after high school.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Top grades in biology, chemistry, physics and math. Nothing here is decisive, but weak science makes every later step harder.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   Any major, as long as you finish the pre-medical science courses and keep a high GPA. Sit the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) in your third year.

3. 3

   Medical school

   4 years

   Two years of classroom science, then two years of hospital rotations. You graduate as an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Both routes lead here.

4. 4

   Residency, one of two routes

   6 to 8 years

   The integrated route is 6 years of combined training entered straight from medical school. The independent route is 5 years of general surgery first, then at least 3 more years of plastic surgery, all 3 at the same institution.

5. 5

   Board certification

   After residency

   A written examination and then an oral examination from the American Board of Plastic Surgery.