Applying Principles of Evolutionary Biology to Plastic Surgery at an Organizational Level Predicts an Extinction Event

Abstract

As an organized profession, plastic surgery struggles delivering a clear message regarding scope of practice to patients given the diversity of procedures performed. Whereas granting licensure to practice medicine resides in governmental bodies, certification rests within organizations. However, certification is not required to practice plastic surgery. Since plastic surgery operationalizes techniques rather than working within a defined body organ, competition for patients is intense. Mapping territorial interactions between healthcare providers while parsing taxonomy elucidates individual, community, organizational, and governmental levels creating various selection pressures. Applying evolutionary biology as a framework predicts the termination of plastic surgery over time as a unique specialty. An entirely new domain, Restorative Healthcare, is proposed which circumvents an extinction outcome.

Commentary on: Applying Principles of Evolutionary Biology to Plastic Surgery at an Organizational Level Predicts an Extinction Event

“…The authors of the article, Applying Principles of Evolutionary Biology to Plastic Surgery at an Organizational Level Predicts an Extinction Event, 1 should be congratulated for tackling such a difficult and misunderstood process as medical licensure and certification. Their use of a “sociobiologic perspective,” however, to compare medical organization to animal taxonomy and evolutionary biology confuses an already difficult subject.…”