By Dr. Scott Bueno, Resident, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at UTSW/Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas

Cosmetic surgery is fascinating. I’m amazed by the positive changes that it can have on our patients’ lives. As a resident, I have found AACS’s resources invaluable as I began training in this unique sub-specialty.

I chose to train in maxillofacial surgery because of both my interest in the intricacy of head and neck anatomy and my passion for the artistic nature of facial surgery. During residency training, our specialty teaches us the full scope of both oral and facial surgery, from the ablation of pathologic lesions to complex dentoalveolar techniques and advanced facial reconstruction. Also, like those in other surgical specialties, including otolaryngology or plastic and reconstructive surgery, maxillofacial surgeons perform a variety of cosmetic surgical procedures during our training.

However, no residency focuses solely on cosmetic surgery training. I have found AACS to be an invaluable adjunctive resource for the surgical resident looking to gain knowledge about cosmetic surgery. Low-cost or free access to live webinars and on-demand videos and readings is a nice perk of AACS’s free Resident membership, and there are additional in-person and virtual educational opportunities throughout the year. Some residents may be interested in AACS’s certified Fellowship Programs, offering a full year of dedicated cosmetic surgery training with an established expert.

Perhaps the best part of being a resident member of AACS is experiencing the inter-disciplinary and collegial nature of the organization. Since joining, I’ve encountered many professionals who have welcomed the opportunity to share ideas and teach and mentor us younger trainees, regardless of our respective surgical backgrounds.

Moving forward, we hope to establish a resident committee to further promote this camaraderie among surgical residents and to help train the future leaders of cosmetic surgery. Increasing resident involvement with AACS will help build the specialty, the availability of high-quality fellowship training, and further enhance the necessary sharing of ideas across fields as cosmetic surgery training continues to evolve over time.

Learn more about AACS certified Cosmetic Surgery Fellowship Programs and free Resident membership.