Memories of plastic-surgery residency and clinical photography

This is a historical record of the source author’s experiences, reflections or shared material. Former affiliations, events and products refer to that time and are not current 1PM Clinic services or sales information. Medical claims, individual outcomes and republication rights await clinic review; benefit and safety are not guaranteed.

This photograph brings back my time as a plastic-surgery resident about ten years earlier.

Plastic surgery used expensive, high-quality cameras because patient photographs and before-and-after records were so important. Photography methods even had their own place in the textbooks.

The camera I remember was a Canon Mark II costing around KRW 3 million. I carried it between the operating theater, outpatient clinic and residents’ room. Organizing photographs on weekends took a long time and felt demanding. Whenever I went into surgery, I remember carrying the operating-room camera bag.

It was a period when I practically lived at the hospital. Looking back, I somehow kept going. At the time, it felt like standing battered in a storm, but I had started and could not bring myself to stop.

Plastic-surgery training was the most physically and mentally demanding period of my life. If someone asked whether I wanted to return to my 20s, my answer would be no. I prefer my life now.

Image localization remains incomplete: the original-language source is retained for review.

Source tags: plastic-surgery training, residency, Canon Mark II and an old photograph.