When it comes to your body, there is absolutely no room for compromise. The medical professional you choose to treat your body, from a simple checkup to necessary major surgery, has to be someone you can trust.

Consider the following when selecting a medical professional:

When it comes to selecting a physician, let alone any medical professional, experience is paramount.

Experience is about how many, how often, and how recently.

While it may be beneficial to know how long a surgeon has been performing surgical procedures in general, it is more important to know how many the surgeon performed that are of the specific procedure you wish to undergo.

The experience of a surgeon can also be reviewed in terms of how frequently a particular procedure has been performed in their professional career. Surgeons performing procedures once a month may not be viewed as favourably as one that performs 4 times a week.

Further, because the field of cosmetic surgery is constantly being updated and improved with numerous technological advancements and innovative techniques, find out how recently a surgeon has performed the selected procedure. If a surgeon has performed liposuction 100 times 5 years ago and not a single one in the last few months, their knowledge and ability may not be as current as a surgeon who has performed several liposuction procedures in the last week alone.

Experienced surgeons have many photographs of consenting patients, usually hundreds or even more. It's a good idea to see these before and after photographs as well as ask about the specific details for each one. Viewing them is the easiest way to garner an understanding of a surgeon's experience, as their capabilities will be evident in their work. Make sure to study each carefully, especially if it is of the same procedure you're interested in undergoing. Look out for things like asymmetry or scarring, and don't be shy about expressing your opinion because the surgeon may be able to explain inconsistencies and extenuating circumstances.

Every doctor in Canada must be formally educated in a recognized university, having completed an undergraduate degree followed by a Doctorate of Medicine acquired from the completion of medical school. A period of residency is required afterwards to train in a medical setting. Residency is vital to professional development, as it allows medical doctors to experience surgery and other such activities in a “real-life” setting.

But don’t think that a doctor’s education and training stops there. The medical field is far from static; it constantly changes and adapts as new technologies, advancements and techniques are discovered. As a result, learning is a life-long process for every doctor and surgeon. Be suspicious of any medical professional that does not keep up-to-date in their area of specialization. They should have evidence of having attended workshops, seminars, or other professional training courses.

But on top of that, what better way to affirm a surgeon’s abilities than to know they have trained one or more other physicians in the procedure you wish to undergo? If a surgeon’s abilities are so trusted that another surgeon chooses to learn and seek guidance from them, it may mean that you can trust them, too.

Listen to your instinct! When you walk into a medical facility and meet your surgeon for the first time, trust your judgment. A surgeon should be able to make you feel comfortable without being pushy or evasive when responding to your concerns. If you feel like you're simply a walking dollar sign, it's probably better that you seek another surgeon.