Dr. Steinmetz is a specialist for Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, who is board certified in Germany and also by the European Board (EBOPRAS) of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic surgery. Beyond his European qualifications he is also eligible for a license in the United States.He went to medical school in the prestigious Julius-Maximilians-University in Würzburg Germany, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1991.His preexisting interest in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery was further fueled during his time as acting intern in the U.S.A. at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. At that time he became convinced, that the key to becoming an excellent plastic surgeon was a thorough understanding of three dimensional anatomy that needed to go well beyond what medical school could provide. Therefore, upon coming back to Germany for his specialty training, he first took a job as a doctor at a major CT and MRI imaging center in Würzburg, Germany and got involved in 3-D imaging. After one and a half years and learning a lot about 3-D anatomy, he proceeded to fulfill his dream of becoming a plastic surgeon by enrolling in the residency training program of Würzburg University. This coincided with a reform of the plastic surgery specialty training in Germany. Instead of having to go through a general surgery residence and then adding on 2 years of plastic surgery training, he now was able to concentrate on his main goal with only one year of general surgery and 5 years of specific training in the specialty. So he is one of the first generation of plastic and aesthetic surgeons in Germany who went through this highly specialized residency program.Dr. Steinmetz made good use of this time and made sure he got the most out of his training: While his passion was always cosmetic surgery, he realized that this is literally the tip of the ice berg and to become a master in aesthetic surgery he would have to build on a wide range of knowledge and skills. Within one year of starting the program he had mastered micro surgery to an extent, that he became a full member of the hand surgery - replantation team at Würzburg University Hospitals. This subsequently led to his extensive involvement in reconstructive surgery from the very basics of random pattern flaps to intricate microvascular free tissue transfers. During his residency years, he not only performed well over 1000 surgeries himself, but as chief resident also helped to train other surgeons. Aside from all this, he was very active presenting papers and lectures at national and international meetings, as well as several publications on clinical and research topics. This quickly led to being appointed as a regular member of the teaching staff of Würzburg University Medical School. His research in wound healing under special consideration of foreign materials, such as silicone implants, awarded him a research scholarship by the Coloplast foundation, which he used to spend time at the renown wound healing laboratory of the University of California, San Francisco in 1997.After passing the German specialty boards in January of 1999 he was drawn between continuing an academic career at the university and following his passion for aesthetic surgery. After continuing as an attending for Plastic Surgery at Würzburg University hospital for another 6 months, his love for the art of Cosmetic Surgery won and consequently he left the University to join in a private group practice for Plastic, Aesthetic and Hand Surgery together with one of his former professors and a fellow resident. After 4 years with this group he realized the limitations of such a group practice outweighed the benefits.
