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Monday, April 2, 2012

The Work of a Plastic Surgeon

Plastic surgeons work every day to help people look better and feel better about themselves. They have the opportunity to adjust the human body, which is something that most people never thought possible a century ago. If you have been thinking about becoming a plastic surgeon in the near future, you need to make sure you know about everything involved with this job. That way, you can make a logical decision about whether or not it is a good fit for you. Here is some information about the work of a plastic surgeon, which will hopefully be enough to point you in the right direction.


Industries That Plastic Surgeons Work in

There are several industries that you may be able to find work in as a plastic surgeon. These industries have different demands for cosmetic work, and they have different job duties to keep in mind. Here is a list of some areas of the job market you may find yourself in as a plastic surgeon:

  • Plastic Surgery: $60,678 - $516,365 per year
  • Healthcare: $97,871 - $358,494 per year
  • Cosmetic Surgery: $60,000 - $500,000 per year
  • Hospital: $49,822 - $354,786 per year
  • Medical Services: $50,684 - $505,069 per year

Employers That Hire Plastic Surgeons

You can find work through many different kinds of employers as a plastic surgeon. Most people work in a hospital or work in their own offices, but there are other options to keep in mind. You might be able to work with any of the following employers in this profession:

  • Ambulatory Care Centers
  • Colleges
  • Companies
  • General Hospitals
  • Government Offices
  • Hospitals
  • Physician's Offices
  • Private Practice
  • Surgery Centers

Certifications for Plastic Surgeons

After obtaining a doctoral degree in plastic surgery, you will need to get a certification related to your profession. That way employers and clients know that you are capable of doing your work. The same can be said for some of the other top careers in the world. Here is a list of certifications you may consider getting for work:

  • Board Certified Surgery: $147,949 - $512,780 per year
  • American Board of Plastic Surgery: $100,841 - $305,209 per year

Job Benefits for Plastic Surgeons

If you work for a company of some sort, you have the opportunity to get bonuses and benefits along with your career. These will increase your overall salary, and they should make your life easier in the end. Possible job benefits include:

  • 401(k)
  • Cell Phone
  • Life Insurance and Disability
  • Malpractice and Liability Insurance
  • Paid Holidays and Vacations
  • Paid Sick Leave
  • Private Medical Insurance

The Annual Earnings of a Plastic Surgeon

When it comes down to it, most people want to know how much money plastic surgeons make before they settle into a career like this. Your pay will depend on your experience, location, employer, and many other factors. The charts below show the average plastic surgeon salary so you can get a full view of your earning potential.

Salary by Years of Experience
  • Less than 1 year of experience: $40,547 - $295,898 per year
  • 1-4 years of experience: $61,777 - $377,876 per year
  • 5-9 years of experience: $58,723 - $518,980 per year
  • 10-19 years of experience: $60,000 - $475,000 per year
  • 20 years or more of experience: $100,222 - $595,976 per year

Salary by Location
  • California: $95,734 - $503,353 per year
  • Florida: $96,815 - $538,293 per year
  • Maryland: $116,653 - $203,473 per year
  • Massachusetts: $196,527 - $308,368 per year
  • New York: $55,000 - $504,206 per year
  • Pennsylvania: $75,000 - $350,000 per year
  • Texas: $45,000 - $464,000 per year

Similar Jobs to Consider

If you think that plastic surgery is not the venue for you, there are plenty of other jobs to keep in mind. Here are some similar ones that you may want to pursue in the future:

  • Business Manager in a Medical Office
  • Medical Office Manager
  • Patient Care Coordinator
  • Physician
  • Physician Assistant
  • Registered Nurse

Monday, March 19, 2012

The Obsession with Perfection

Is it just me, or have we all gotten a little overly obsessed with perfection over the years? I know that it is human nature to want to look your best, but I don't think this obsession is healthy for the world. Eating disorders are running rampant, and people are committing suicide just because they don't feel pretty enough. That's just not right. Society is putting far too much pressure on people to look different than how they actually look, and I think something needs to be done about that.


I suppose you can consider this article a bit of a venting process for me. I went through a really really really long ugly duckling phase, and it wasn't until a few years ago that I actually started to like the way I looked. I got my braces off, my body filled out a little bit, and I was really starting to look the way I always wanted to. Even then though, people had a problem with some part of my body. I was "too skinny" or my boobs were "too small." There was a need for change no matter what I did, and it literally drove me insane.

If you have been going through a similar situation in your own life, you may be tempted to turn to plastic surgery to fix all of your "problems." While that is an option, I don't think it is one that you necessarily have to rely on for physical perfection. There are tons of ways to improve your body without going under the knife. You could work out to lose weight. You could buy a pushup bra to make your chest look bigger. You could buy clothes that make your body look better, and then you wouldn't have to worry about enhancing it with surgery. There is always a solution.

I'm not trying to suggest that all forms of plastic surgery are bad. I know that there are plenty of solutions that aren't extreme. Nevertheless, I think most people are looking for a quick fix that can turn them from parole officer to pageant queen in a matter of a few weeks. Plastic surgery is a lot more than a quick fix though. It is an entire alteration of the body that has to be carefully taken into consideration. Otherwise you may develop a very unhealthy quest for perfection.

If you have decided to get plastic surgery to fix an issue you have with your body, make sure that you explore all other options ahead of time. If you don't see any other way to be happy with the feature, try not to go overboard with change. Fix the one issue and don't do anything else. Once you start enjoying the feeling of improving your body, you may not know when to stop. The next thing you know, your A cups look like Dolly Parton bazongas and your nose is shaped like a four leaf clover. You wouldn't want that, would you?

You define perfection for your own life. I think I have a perfect life because I have a great job and a husband who loves me. Your perfection may come from having kids that are growing up to be successful members of modern society. Whatever the case may be, you cannot get overly obsessed with the need to look a certain way. That is both illogical and unhealthy. Don't let the obsession with perfection rule your day to day life. The sacrifice isn't worth it in the end.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Becoming a Medical Assistant

There is more to the world of plastic surgery than plastic surgeons themselves. Those men and women have nurses, anesthesiologists, and tons of other workers around them to help them do their jobs. If you want to work in plastic surgery without being an actual surgeon, you may think of a job as a medical assistant. This line of work is in high demand at the moment, and it is an area that is relatively easy to get involved with. All you have to do is go through a few years of education, and you could immediately begin work under a plastic surgeon in your area.

Here is a look at the training it takes to become a medical assistant, as well as the salary you could expect from this career in the future.

Medical Assistant Training

Before you can begin a career in medical assisting, you need to have a degree in the subject. There are tons of medical assistant schools in the world that can help you do just that. You could go to a local university, or you could even go to a college online. It just depends on how you like to learn. Within your degree program, you will take a number of courses related to medical terminology and clerical organization, as those are the primary components of this field. Those classes may include:

  • Bookkeeping
  • Customer Service
  • Doctor/Patient Confidentiality
  • Filing
  • Management in Medicine
  • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Finances
  • Medical Law
  • Medical Terminology
  • Organization
  • Patient Record Keeping
  • Phone Etiquette
  • Typing

You may not take classes under the exact same names listed above, but the information you receive from them will be relatively the same. Once you complete two to four years of training in your college of choice, you can obtain a degree to start working in the future. You may also need to get a medical assistant certification after that, but that will just test your knowledge of the information you learned in school. As long as you paid attention in class, you should be able to pass with no trouble at all.

Medical Assistant Pay Rates

Why would you go through all of that training if it didn't pay off, right? There wouldn't be a point. Most medical assistants make pretty good money, especially if they can work in a specialized field like plastic surgery. Your pay will be largely dependent on the place you work for, but it should be plenty enough to support your family. Common pay rates for medical assistants include:

Wages by Years of Experience
  • Less than 1 year: $8.52 - $14.66 per hour
  • 1-4 years: $9.29 - $15.07 per hour
  • 5-9 years: $10.68 - $17.05 per hour
  • 10-19 years: $11.22 - $18.78 per hour
  • 20 years or more: $12.24 - $19.95 per hour

Wages by Certification
  • ASCP Certified Phlebotomy Technician: $9.69 - $16.62 per hour
  • Basic Life Support: $10.06 - $18.85 per hour
  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: $9.36 - $15.81 per hour
  • Certified Medical Assistant: $9.62 - $16.59 per hour
  • Certified Nursing Assistant: $9.73 - $16.69 per hour
  • Emergency Medical Technician: $10.06 - $16.65 per hour
  • First Aid: $8.54 - $14.90 per hour

Put all of the pieces together to figure out if this career fits your plans for the future. If it does, start looking for educational avenues you can take to start work early on. In just a couple of years, you could be working right alongside a plastic surgeon, enjoying the life of a medical assistant.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Can Someone Get Addicted to Plastic Surgery?

When most people think about addiction, they don't think about plastic surgery. They think about drugs, alcohol, or something else along those lines. While those are the most common forms of addiction in the world, the fact is that there are tons of other addictions that people can have. A person could be allergic to sex, baby powder, cat treats, cars, eating tape…and yes, plastic surgery. As silly as it sounds for a person to be addicted to something as painful and time consuming as plastic surgery, the fact is that there are hundreds and maybe even thousands of people in the world that live with this kind of obsession every day. Here is a look at how that process works so you may have a better understanding of it in the future.

The Reasons behind Plastic Surgery Addiction

In most cases, a person will develop an addiction to plastic surgery because he or she suffers from body dysmorphic disorder. This is a medical condition wherein a person sees himself or herself in a different way than the rest of the world. A woman who weighs 95 pounds may look in the mirror and see 150 pounds. Thus she goes through as much liposuction as possible to get out all of the fat that doesn't really exist. If a person feels that he or she looks different than he or she is supposed to, a plastic surgery addiction ay ensue.

Some other people get addicted to plastic surgery because of the attention. I saw an episode of "True Life" like that once, where the woman had gigantic boobs that she wanted to make even bigger because she thought that it would yield more attention. She wore really low cut shits to expose her cleavage, and she walked down the street hoping that people would stare at her. The attention is not always positive for plastic surgery patients, but they don't care. It's the looks that keeps their addiction going, not the feedback.

Ways to Combat Plastic Surgery Addiction

The only way to really stop plastic surgery addiction is to stop getting plastic surgery. Most doctors will not work on a person after a certain number of surgeries because they are not willing to put their clients at risk or their reputation on the line. That does not stop people from getting surgery though. They just move on to another doctor or they leave the country for their operation. Either way, they get what they want in the end.

Most plastic surgery addicts are encouraged to go to counseling to deal with the inner issues that are causing their addiction in general. They may be dealing with repressed emotions from their childhood or the recent loss of a loved one. Every client is different, but most of them come out free of addiction if they stay in therapy long enough. This is a long process, and it is much different than any other rehabilitation program. Nevertheless, it is necessary to stop the addiction for good.

Conclusion

Plastic surgery addiction is becoming more common than it should, what with the world's fixation on physical perfection. There is nothing wrong with getting one or two surgeries to improve the way your body looks, but you can't go overboard with it. If you or someone you know may potentially become addicted to plastic surgery, you need to stop the problem as soon as it starts. That way you don't have to worry about the ramifications that may come from the addiction in the future.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Can Work out Supplements Eliminate the Need to Work out?

Every person dreams of that miracle pill that will burn fat and build muscle in one swift blow. While there are work out supplements on the market that will improve your abilities to gain a fit body, these all require work on your part in the end. The point of these supplements is to give you better results from the workouts you do, not to take over the need to work out altogether. Before you develop false expectations for a certain set of supplements, you may want to read on to find out what you could actually get from your power pills.


What Work out Pills Actually Do

Fat burn diets and pills can only improve your blood circulation, energy levels, etc. They give you the foundation for great results. However, they will not do all the work your body needs to look its best. In order to get your muscles toned and your overall body lean, you have to actually move and strain your muscles through exercise. This will actually break parts of the muscles along the way, which is what causes the majority of the pain you feel. Then as you rest the next day, the muscles build back stronger and firmer than before. You have to do the work, but the supplements will help you to burn the stomach fat and other areas you may be targeting.

In some cases, work out supplements are designed to help you lose weight. That does not mean you can sit around and suddenly shed the pounds. You have to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine to actually see the weight come off. You lose a lot of weight through sweating alone, and it is hard to sweat without moving. The supplements could increase circulation enough to make your workouts more effective, but they cannot twitch your muscles for you. You have to do that part on your own.

How to Improve the Results of Work out Supplements

Work out supplements can in fact help you get the body you have always wanted, but only if you use them correctly. Make sure you get a pill that actually works for your body type, as there are different options for different people. Men respond differently to chemicals than women do because of the hormones and body proportions. You have to get the best supplement for your build if you are ever going to see results from your time with work out supplements.

You also need to find a diet and exercise plan that you can stick to for the long term. If you rely on short-term solutions, you are going to get short-term results. No work out supplement in the world is going to be able to overcome your daily habits, so you have to make sure you establish the right ones from the start. If you can do that, you will be able to get the body you want with a little help from a supplement.

Final Thoughts

You don't have to spend your entire tattoo artist salary to get a good work out pill. You just need to find the right one for you. While there may not be any miracle work out supplements on the market today, there are still some that you can look into that will effectively improve your workouts and overall weight loss abilities. You cannot expect total greatness from these pills, but then again, what fun would they be then? The whole point of losing weight is to get to a place where you feel better about yourself. That is much easier to do when you do the work on your own. Research different pills and fat burn exercises you can use, and then stick to the routine that works out for you.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Invisalign Could Transform Your Smile

An Invisalign dentist could be of great asset to you if you are uncomfortable with the look of your teeth. Invisalign is a form of orthodontia that does the same work as standard braces without the use of unsightly metal on the teeth. A patient's teeth can be put into alignment through the use of clear trays that slowly move the teeth into a new position. When the teeth finally rest in that new position, a new tray is formed to straighten them even further. The end result is a straight, brilliant smile of any person's dreams. Here is a look at some of the benefits you may be able to get out of working with an Invisalign dentist in your area.


Avoiding Braces

Braces may not be terrible for a child to have because kids get them all the time, but they can be awkward for adults. An Invisalign dentist can help you get the straight smile you want without having to look like a teenager along the way. Most people never even notice when someone has their Invisalign tray in, and those that do don't notice it nearly as much as they would a bright set of braces. There is no other way to straighten your teeth and still look as sophisticated as possible.

I had braces when I was a teenager, and I can attest to how much of a pain in the ass those things are. They're impossible to brush around, they make your mouth smell all kinds of funky, and they give you a lisp no matter what. If you can consult with an Invisalign specialist to avoid getting metal in your mouth, do it. You will be much happier with your situation in the end.

Discovering Your Options

An Invisalign dentist can consult with you to figure out if this procedure will work with your dental concerns. Some people need more extreme solutions than Invisalign can provide, but for the most part, this procedure should be able to work for you. The dentist can go over how long you may have to be in the program and what you will have to pay for the correction. There are payment plans available if you cannot pay for everything upfront, and you may also have some financial aid available through your insurance provider.

Seeing Results

Most people see results from Invisalign in no time at all, so you could transform the way you look in a matter of weeks with the right plan. This all starts with that initial consultation, where the dentist looks over your mouth and figures out the best solution from there. This is going to change from person to person, but the dentist should be able to figure out a way to get you the best results in the quickest time possible. Then you will be able to go to school or work without having to worry about what your smile looks like.

Final Thoughts

It is important to find an Invisalign dentist that you can trust, especially since you are going to have to put your whole smile in their hands. Ask for the person's credentials and try to get recommendations from people who have used Invisalign to see who they might suggest. If you have any questions about their experiences with Invisalign or the results their customers have gotten, feel free to ask. You cannot go wrong with doing a bit of research. When you find the dentist that is right for you, the only thing left to do is smile with confidence. See if that can happen for you today.

Monday, February 6, 2012

What You Might Not Know about Building Ab Muscles

Have you ever wondered what the truth about six pack abs was? It seems like every week, a new product comes on the market that is supposed to revolutionize the way people get a six pack of abs. While some of these may promise brilliant results beyond all possible expectations, the fact is that these products simply do not do anything that they claim they do. Miracle pills and ab machines are a quick waste of your paralegal salary, and they are nowhere near what you need to rely on to achieve six pack abs. If you want to make your body look as great as it can, read some of the facts below.


Combining Weight Loss with Muscle Building

If you want the truth to six pack abs, you have to be willing to do some weight loss efforts along with the muscle gaining exercises. This could mean dieting on top of working out to get rid of the fat that is covering the muscles on the abdomen. This is the hardest part of the process for most people, but it is a necessity it you want to get your body as fit as it can be. You cannot get six pack abs without replacing some of your weight with muscles.

Working out Correctly

Crunches and sit-ups have been long lived solutions that most people look to for a six pack of abs, but the truth to six pack abs is that there are some workouts that can do much more than these. You do not necessarily have to be flexible or naturally fit to do these workouts, but you do need to look beyond conventional workouts if you want to see results. Sometimes a slight modification is all you need to see the results you have been looking for.

Waiting for Results

The truth to six pack abs is that they will not form for you overnight. This is not to say that you cannot see quick results from solid efforts, but you will not see your six pack abs form in a week or two. This is a slow process in a lot of ways, and it will require maintenance in the future if you want to keep your body looking as good as it will. As long as you are committed to finding a workout and diet that will work for you, you should not have any troubles getting a six pack of your dreams.

Tips on Getting Six Pack Abs

If you have been struggling to get a six pack of abs, it may be that you have bad habits that you need to break. In some cases, a few simple switches in your daily routine can greatly improve any efforts you put towards your six pack of abs. Rather than getting frustrated and quitting altogether, you can look at some of the simple tips on getting six pack abs listed below. They should be able to help you see the maximum results from the minimum amount of effort.

Sleep

You have to sleep, and you have to sleep well. As your body sleeps, it can devote all of its energy to healing you and rebuilding your strength. In the case of your six pack of abs, that means that your body can focus on strengthening your muscles after a workout so you look the best you can. Try to get as many hours of consecutive sleep as possible, and avoid power naps during the day. The longer you can go in a deep sleep, the more your body will be able to help you get a six pack of abs.

Drink Water

Drink a good amount of water during the day. Water is great for more than just hydrating your body. It helps improve your overall circulation so your muscles can firm up quicker. Water will also enhance your metabolism so you will be less likely to gain weight as you try to get six pack abs. This means that you can get rid of the fat you have and gain muscle, all from something Mother Nature regularly provides. Drink eight glasses a day or more to stay in prime condition.

Take It Easy

Never overwork your body, even if you think it will yield better results. Some people assume that the solution to achieve six pack abs is to spend every day at the gym. That is not productive though. Limit your ab workouts to every other day so your body has time to rest and regroup. That and the other tips above will help you see results as quickly as possible. With a little effort, you may be able to improve your workout results tremendously.