Master of Chirurgiae in Plastic Surgery or M.Ch. Plastic Surgery is a 3-year long master degree course awarded as a postgraduate degree in the field of surgery. Candidates need to complete their graduation in a relevant discipline from a recognized university as a minimum eligibility criterion.
- Admission to the course is generally merit-based. However, there are some colleges that conduct entrance exams.
- This is a branch of medicine that deals with the restoration and correction human body and its parts. Plastic Surgery is a collection of different types of surgeries like microsurgery, hand surgery, reconstructive surgery and treatment/ healing of burns.
- M.Ch. Plastic Surgery aims to produce qualified plastic surgeons. The students will go through core training and receive supervised hands-on training in aesthetic plastic surgery.
- Postgraduates after completing this course can go on to become surgeons and work in private clinics, government hospitals, healthcare centers, medical Institutes, nursing homes and research institutes.
- Career options after M.Ch. Plastic Surgery includes working as a surgeon in any super-specialty hospital. The surgeons can also set up their own clinic and make a name for themselves. They are in great demand, both in our home country and in abroad.
- The course fees range between INR 1 to 5 lacs for the total duration. The probable salaries offered to successful postgraduates in this field are between 3 to10 lacs per annum.
M.Ch. Plastic Surgery: Course Highlights
Listed below are some of the major highlights of the course.
| Course Level | Post Graduate |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Examination Type | Semester System |
| Eligibility | Graduation from a recognised university |
| Admission Process | Direct admission to colleges. However, some colleges may check student's skills in through an entrance test. |
| Course Fee | INR 1-5 lacs |
| Average Starting Salary | INR 8-15 lacs |
| Top Recruiting Fields/Areas | private clinics, government hospitals, healthcare centers, medical Institutes, nursing homes and research institutes |
| Job Titles | Plastic Surgeon, Paediatric Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Assistant Surgeon, etc. |
M.Ch. Plastic Surgery: What is it About?
Plastic surgery is a specialized medical field that concerns with the correction and restoration methods undertaken to rectify the form and normal functions of human body. It focuses on the repairing, reconstructing and addressing abnormalities in the functions and look of the skin, muscles, skeletal system and internal parts.
A candidate after completing M.Ch. Plastic Surgery becomes a Plastic surgeon and may perform two types of surgeries: cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. While Cosmetic Surgery is used widely to improve appearance, reconstructive surgery is used to correct appearance after the body has faced some injury or burns. Both focus on improving bodily function.
M.Ch. Plastic Surgery: Who should do M.Ch. Plastic Surgery?
A candidate willing to specialize in plastic surgery should be prepared for some hardcore training. They should have good IQ level and an aptitude to succeed in science. Farsightedness is another important characteristic imbibed in those who wish to devote themselves to M.Ch Plastic Surgery.
Students must be responsible, diligent and sympathetic to patient needs. They should have the quality to take timely decisions. Attention to detail is paramount for anybody going in this field, while Patience is the key quality to be possessed.
Students need to have excellent communication skills so as to explain complex medical language to the patients and its relatives. The candidate must also be empathetic and provide emotional support to the patient and family.
Eligibility for M.Ch. Plastic Surgery
Like any other professional, plastic surgeons are expected to have sound knowledge of science, biology, anatomy and physiology. Plastic surgeons have to undergo rigorous training of many years that begins with MBBS where they devote 5.5 years of their life. Hence, MBBS is pre essential for M.Ch Plastic Surgery.
Candidates holding MBBS degree and are registered permanently with Medical Council of India are eligible for this MS course. After successfully completing their MS at postgraduate level, they become eligible to specialise in M.Ch Plastic Surgery.
M.Ch Plastic Surgery: Admission Process
In order to get admission into M.Ch Plastic Surgery, the candidate has to pass an entrance test pertaining to his desired university. Some of the entrance tests are enumerated below:
- Aligarh Muslim University Postgraduate Medical Entrance Test
- All India DM/MCh Entrance Examination
- Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh Entrance Exam
- Sri Ramachandra University Chennai DM, M.CH Entrance Exam
Super specialty Common Entrance Test (SSCET)
Top Institutes offering M.Ch. Plastic Surgery
Listed below are some of the top institutes offering the course in the country with the corresponding locations and fees charged by them.
| College Name | City | Fees per annum in INR |
|---|---|---|
| AJ Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre | Mangalore | 5.95 lacs |
| All India Institute of Medical Sciences - [AIIMS] | New Delhi | 2.55 lacs |
| Amrita School of Medicine | Kochi | 17 lacs |
| Armed Forces Medical College - [AFMC] | Pune | 30,300 |
| Aryabhatta Knowledge University - [AKU] | Patna | 48,000 |
| Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute [BMCRI] | Bangalore | 19,000 |
| Christian Medical College - [CMC] | Vellore | 1.14 lacs |
| Deccan College of Medical Sciences | Hyderabad | 1 lac |
| Dr DY Patil University | Navi Mumbai | 7.5 lacs |
| Dr NTR University of Health Sciences, [DNUOHS] | Vijayawada | 3 lacs |
Master of Chirurgiae [M.Ch] (Plastic Surgery): Syllabus and Course Description
A semester-wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is tabulated below
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | Semester 3 |
|---|---|---|
| History of Plastic Surgery and its broad scope at the present time | Growth and development changes in face, anatomy of facial skeleton. | Cleft Lip and Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies |
| Anatomy and functions of skin | Craniosynostosis, hypertelorism, craniofacial microsomia. | Embryology of head and neck ( excluding central nervous system ). |
| Split skin grafts and full thickness skin grafts, their take and subsequent behaviour | Leprosy deformities of face | Regional anatomy of head and neck. |
| Local skin flaps | Temporomandibular joint dysfunctions. | Cleft lip and palate, alveolar clefts. |
| Pedicled skin flaps and tubes | Fractures – nose, maxilla, mandible, zygoma, orbit – early management and treatment of sequelae. |
Velopharyngeal incompetence. |
| Unstable scar and scar contracture | Corrective Rhinoplasty | Orthodontics, speech therapy in cleft lip and palate. |
| Care of wounds, dressing, techniques and splints. | Facial paralysis | Principles of craniofacial surgery. |
| Congenital deformities of face and jaw bone. | Reconstruction of external ear. | Rare craniofacial clefts, Tessier clefts. |
| Semester 4 | Semester 5 | Semester 6 |
| Vasoformative lesions of the skin and adnexa | Reconstruction of full thickness defects of the abdomen and thorax | Thermal burns |
| Jaw tumours | Decubitus ulcer | Electrical burns. |
| Cancer of upper Aerodigestive system | Breast reconstruction | Chemical burns. |
| Malignant and benign tumours of head and neck. | Chemical peeling and dermabrasion. | Radiation burn |
| Reconstruction of mandible. | Blepharoplasty | Reconstruction of burn hand and upper extremity. |
| Reconstruction of maxilla | Aesthetic Surgery and Facelift. | Vasospastic disorders of hands |
| Tumour of skin | Abdominoplasty | Nerve compression syndromes. |
| Principles of prosthetic replacement of Jaw defects | Body contouring, liposuction. | Surgery for spastic and tetraplegic hand |
| Tumours of Head and Neck and Skin | Laser therapy | Dupuytren’s disease. |
M.Ch. Plastic Surgery: Career Prospects
The most probable career choice after M.Ch. Plastic Surgery is to become a Plastic Surgeon who work to correct features damaged due to some reasons. Besides surgery, one can work in specific fields of surgery such as surgery, breast surgery, reconstructive surgery, aesthetic surgery and dental surgery.
Individuals and influential people often go for cosmetic surgery to enhance their looks and figure. Face, breast and body surgeries are common in the glamour world to enhance and retain young looks.
Career prospects are very high in abroad too. Many people from foreign countries visit India for their surgeries as the expenditure of surgery is cheaper here.
The areas of work for Surgeons include private clinics, government hospitals, research centers, healthcare centers, medical Institutes and colleges and nursing homes.
Some of the popular avenues open to postgraduates of M.Ch. Plastic Surgery are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.
| Job Position | Job Description | Average Annual Salary in INR |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic Surgeon | A plastic surgeon’s duty is to operate on a patient's face or body for repairing or reconstructing purpose. According to his speciality, he may perform two types of surgery, either cosmetic or reconstructive. | 12-24 lacs |
| Pediatric Surgeon | Paediatric surgeons perform surgeries on young patients. They usually work at children's hospitals where they carry out diagnostic procedures and provide operative care to children. | 11-18 lacs |
| Surgical Oncologist | An oncologist’s job is to manage a person's care and treatment after the diagnosis of cancer. Oncology has three major areas, namely, medical, surgical, and radiation. | 6-10 lacs |
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