How much schooling in a plastic surgeon's curriculum is dedicated to learning cosmetic aesthetics?

Plastic surgery training involves learning a set of techniques and clinical judgment for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, so a sense of artistry is one of the things that draws surgeons to the specialty.  The specific answer to your question depends in part on what you mean by cosmetic aesthetics, but aesthetic (cosmetic) surgery is a major part of a plastic surgeon's training.  However, without the extensive background in the sophisticated techniques of plastic surgery, no amount of training limited to the cosmetic aesthetics is going to produce a great cosmetic surgeon in my opinion.

Others have told you about the time we spend in medical school, general surgery and then plastic surgery training.

Now I will ask you to:  DEFINE BEAUTY - WHAT IS BEAUTY?

WE DEDICATE EVERY DAY IN DEFINING BEAUTY AND HOW TO ACHIEVE IT.

BEAUTY ALSO IS DEFINED BY SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND TIME.

JUST LOOK AT THE GREAT MASTERS' PORTRAITS OF BEAUTY.

Aesthetics - is a huge part of the analysis process we are taught to do in plastic surgery as part of patient evaluation and surgical planning.  This is especially true for facial operations, like rhinoplasty, chin augmentation, facelift and browlift, and also for breast and body surgery too.  Making aesthetic judgments is also part of our reconstructive thinking:  what is the best way to get an abnormal structure (e.g. a cleft lip) to look like a beautiful normal one?

So, it's very much a part of the curriculum of material that plastic surgery trainees must master, in addition to learning about the relevant anatomy, physiology, surgical techniques and their application, and peri-operative management of the patient.  We're also tested on it, during our training, and in our written and oral board examination process.

All the best,