What does a reconstructive surgeon do?
Reconstructive surgeon responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real reconstructive surgeon resumes:
- Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
- Perform administrative tasks regarding origination paperwork for patients, preoperative paperwork, medical clearance, financing and payment.
- Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Reconstructive surgeon skills and personality traits
We calculated that 62% of Reconstructive Surgeons are proficient in Cosmetic Surgery, EMR, and Exam Rooms. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Compassion, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Reconstructive Surgeons that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Cosmetic Surgery, 62%
Major reconstructive, breast reconstructive, hand, microsurgery and cosmetic surgery.
- EMR, 12%
Format of medical reports closely assimilated what is now the guideline of the current EMR format.
- Exam Rooms, 12%
Sterilize surgical instruments, keep exam rooms stocked with supplies.
- Front Desk, 7%
Managed and executed front desk responsibilities for fast-paced orthopedic specialty facility; served as a Medical Interpreter as needed.
- Hand Surgery, 3%
Specialized in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, microsurgery and hand surgery.
- Post-Operative Care, 2%
Participated in all aspects of surgical care, including the immediate post-operative care.
"cosmetic surgery," "emr," and "exam rooms" are among the most common skills that reconstructive surgeons use at work. You can find even more reconstructive surgeon responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a reconstructive surgeon to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "physicians and surgeons need to be excellent communicators." Additionally, a reconstructive surgeon resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "assisted in the or, as well as office and phone communications with our patients. "
Compassion. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling reconstructive surgeon duties is compassion. The role rewards competence in this skill because "patients who are sick or injured may be in extreme pain or distress." According to a reconstructive surgeon resume, here's how reconstructive surgeons can utilize compassion in their job responsibilities: "provided and directed patient care in an appropriate and compassionate manner. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of reconstructive surgeons is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday reconstructive surgeon duties, as "patients must receive appropriate treatment and medications." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "obtain detailed historical data from patients and perform focused physical examinations. "
Dexterity. reconstructive surgeon responsibilities often require "dexterity." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "physicians and surgeons may work with very precise and sometimes sharp tools, and mistakes can have serious consequences." This resume example shows what reconstructive surgeons do with dexterity on a typical day: "gained invaluable knowledge of the medical industry and patient care; developed diagnostic and problem-solving skills through hands-on clinical experience. "
Leadership skills. Another crucial skill for a reconstructive surgeon to carry out their responsibilities is "leadership skills." A big part of what reconstructive surgeons relies on this skill, since "physicians who work in their own practice must manage a staff of other professionals." How this skill relates to reconstructive surgeon duties can be seen in an example from a reconstructive surgeon resume snippet: "delivered advice to surgeon general and executive leadership on public health policies, project implementation, and milestone establishment. "
Physical stamina. Lastly, "physical stamina" is an important element of what a reconstructive surgeon does. Reconstructive surgeon responsibilities require this skill because "physicians and surgeons should be comfortable lifting or turning disabled patients, or performing other physical tasks." This resume example highlights how reconstructive surgeon duties rely on this skill: "observed one-on-one check-ups and physical examinations of patients recovering from operations performed by dr. paci and dr. Rizzi. "
The three companies that hire the most reconstructive surgeons are:
- University of Florida4 reconstructive surgeons jobs
- Mayo Clinic4 reconstructive surgeons jobs
- Cleveland Clinic3 reconstructive surgeons jobs
Compare different reconstructive surgeons
Reconstructive surgeon vs. Eye physician
A surgeon is a medical professional who conducts surgical procedures on the human body to treat injuries and diseases such as broken bones and cancerous tumors. Surgeons are required to review test results to identify abnormal findings and recommend a plan of treatment to patients. They must manage surgical technicians during the surgery process to ensure all standards of care and safety are followed in the operating room. Surgeons must also address concerns that the patients have about their health and well-being.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a reconstructive surgeon are more likely to require skills like "cosmetic surgery," "cme," "emr," and "surgery scheduling." On the other hand, a job as an eye physician requires skills like "eye drops," "patient charts," "field testing," and "ehr." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, eye physicians reach similar levels of education than reconstructive surgeons. Eye physicians are 3.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 8.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Reconstructive surgeon vs. Surgeon's assistant
Orthopaedic surgeons are healthcare professionals who are responsible for treating pain related to the musculoskeletal system of the body. These licensed medical experts are required to examine, diagnose, and treat diseases and injuries related to the musculoskeletal system such as dislocated joints, back pain, and arthritis. They can recommend surgery or non-surgical treatment to their patients after assessing their health condition. Orthopaedic surgeons must also collaborate with other health care providers, such as physical therapists to help understand the patients' medical problems.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, reconstructive surgeon responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "cosmetic surgery," "surgery scheduling," "hand surgery," and "patient appointments." Meanwhile, a surgeon's assistant has duties that require skills in areas such as "patients," "ortho," "epic," and "general surgery." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, surgeon's assistants achieve lower levels of education than reconstructive surgeons. They're 7.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 8.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Reconstructive surgeon vs. Surgeon
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, reconstructive surgeons are more likely to have skills like "cosmetic surgery," "cme," "surgery scheduling," and "hand surgery." But a surgeon is more likely to have skills like "patients," "general surgery," "healthcare," and "patient care."
When it comes to education, surgeons tend to earn similar degree levels compared to reconstructive surgeons. In fact, they're 4.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 6.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Reconstructive surgeon vs. Orthopaedic surgeon
Even though a few skill sets overlap between reconstructive surgeons and orthopaedic surgeons, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a reconstructive surgeon might have more use for skills like "cosmetic surgery," "cme," "surgery scheduling," and "front desk." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of orthopaedic surgeons require skills like "patients," "mri," "patient care," and "arthroscopy. "
In general, orthopaedic surgeons hold lower degree levels compared to reconstructive surgeons. Orthopaedic surgeons are 6.9% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 5.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of reconstructive surgeon
Updated January 8, 2025
