The surgical field comes with high salaries, prestige, expansive knowledge, and saving lives.
Because of this, many people want to become surgeons, from aspiring kids to medical students.
However, surgical programs and colleges are not equal; some stand out from the rest.
Graduating from one of the best surgical colleges in the world can lead to success and better opportunities.
Here, we listed the best plastic surgery colleges in different countries based on their academic achievements, reputation, and track record.
We also considered the colleges’ research capabilities and the faculties’ excellence.
Best plastic surgery colleges in the United States
To become a plastic surgeon in the United States of America, a medical school graduate must become a licensed medical doctor by completing the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.
Then, passers can apply to plastic surgery residency programs with the test results and required documents.
These are the best plastic surgery colleges and institutions in the United States:
- University of California, San Francisco Plastic Surgery Residency.UCSF is one of the most esteemed and respected universities in the globe. Its sophisticated graduate degrees include a plastic surgery program.
This six-year residency trains aspiring surgeons in cosmetic and craniofacial plastic surgery. They also learn advanced reconstruction procedures and complex wound and burn treatment.
Working in prestigious hospitals, UCSF plastic surgery residents can join humanitarian projects in Mexico and Guatemala.
- Harvard Plastic Surgery Residency Training Program.Renowned for over 380 years, Harvard University is one of the most sought-after institutions in the world. Its Medical School offers a residency training program in plastic surgery covering advanced subjects in the field. These include microsurgery, hand surgery, extremity reconstructions, and aesthetic operations.
Plastic surgery students at Harvard may train in Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Shriners Hospital for Children. These are internationally known institutions esteemed in the United States for their charities, research, and premium quality of care.
- Stanford University School of Medicine Surgery Residency-Training Program.This institution always finds itself in top-ranking medical schools worldwide, especially in its surgical specialty.
The Surgery Residency-Training Program offered by Stanford University further specializes in research, a flexible curriculum, and clinical opportunities. Students here learn about diverse specializations such as aesthetic surgery, pelvic reconstruction, and surgical oncology.
- Brown University Residency in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Established in 1963, this is the oldest plastic surgery program in the Northeastern United States. This residency based in Rhode Island offers specialties in cosmetic, bariatric, reconstructive, and craniofacial surgeries.
Its decades of existence brought numerous excellent surgeons and findings that transformed plastic surgery.
Other universities with high-ranking plastic surgery colleges include the University of California-Los Angeles, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Best plastic surgery colleges in South Korea
South Korea has the most advanced cosmetic industry. It even stands as the plastic surgery capital of the world! According to the Gallup Report in Korea, estimates say that at least one in three South Korean women from 19 to 29 years old have had such an operation.
The country also has the most cosmetic operations and clinics per capita. Thus, it is reasonable to say that South Korea has one of the best surgical colleges in the world.
- Korea University College of Medicine.Establishing Korea’s first plastic surgery clinic in 1974, the Korea University College of Medicine is a pioneer in what would become a globally renowned plastic surgery industry. Its Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery teaches students delicate and complicated operations and new technologies used in the field.
Furthermore, the institution led plastic surgery in developing skin grafting, cleft palate surgery, and reconstruction surgeries for the hands and fingertips. It also paved the way for hair transplant operations, anti-aging interventions, and laser applications in plastic surgery.
- Seoul National Univesity College of Medicine. This medical school, including its health care facility (the Seoul National University Hospital), is a global leader in cosmetic surgery. Situated in South Korea’s capital, the Seoul National University College of Medicine specializes in popular plastic surgeries in Korea and the world.
The college trains students and researches double eyelid surgery, liposuction, breast reconstruction and augmentation, scar revision surgery, and tumor operations. It is also known for its education on the nose, facelift, and abdominal plastic surgeries.
It also specializes in treating facial nerve paralysis, diabetic infections, lipomas, burns, and congenital deformities (like cleft lips and hand anomalies).
Best plastic surgery colleges in Britain
The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeons estimates that becoming a plastic surgeon in the country requires at least sixteen years of training.
First, aspirants must finish the five-year-long medical training at a university accredited by the General Medical Council. After graduating, they must complete a foundation program followed by the Core Surgical Training stage. Finally, they will take the specialty training, which includes reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
- Edge Hill Univesity Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine.This medical school in Lancashire, England is recognized by the Royal College of Surgeons of England as a Surgical Training Centre. Moreover, Edge Hill University is among the top institutions in the United Kingdom.
It provides several Master of Surgery (MCh) degree programs, including MCh Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgery and MCh Rhinology and Facial Plastic Surgery.
- University College London Division of Surgery and Interventional Science. As one of the most prestigious medical schools in Europe, this institution offers different plastic surgery programs dedicated to specific Master of Science (MSc) and Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) degrees on plastic surgery. Its selection includes Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Aesthetic Surgery; and Minimally-invasive Aesthetics.
- The Queen Mary University of London Masters in Aesthetic Medicine. This program is unique because it is based online. According to the department’s website, this is suitable for practicing surgeons and physicians working anywhere else.
Queen Mary University even offers simulation training and education from the Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, the largest of its kind in Europe. Hence, their plastic surgery education comes with breakthrough findings on stem cells, gene recovery, and virtual skin modeling.
