On March 8, 2019, we celebrated International Women’s Day, a global day, which honors social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women while simultaneously turning our attention toward the continued lack of gender balance present in today’s world. The Balance for Better campaign theme prompted a closer look at diversity within our plastic surgery specialty. Gender balance has improved with many organizational efforts and laws enacted in the United States. Unfortunately, despite these institutions, statistics show the trend toward financial and career success still favors men. Within the field of medicine, a similar trend has been observed. Though women constitute 50% of medical school graduates, the majority still enter fields outside of surgical subspecialties. In comparison to other surgical subspecialties, women are most represented in plastic surgery. Unfortunately, significant gender discrepancies remain in post-graduate practice including academic practice rank, societal board membership, invited speaker opportunities, and compensation, to name a few. The “leaky pipeline” of women describes a precipitous decline in women at each progressive step of the professional ladder. We explore the multi-faceted nature of this phenomenon and highlight contributing factors limiting female growth within the plastic surgery profession. We also emphasize the continued growth of female plastic surgeon presence in all sectors despite these existing obstacles. We submit that continued leadership, mentorship, and sponsorship provided by both male and female physicians in the field will facilitate future leadership, advance gender parity, and cultivate a sense of belonging within the plastic surgery community, allowing brilliant minds to flourish and the profession to thrive.

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Understanding the intersection of technology and plastic surgery has been and will be essential to positioning plastic surgeons at the forefront of surgical innovation. This account of the current and future applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in reconstructive and aesthetic surgery introduces us to the subset of issues amenable to support from this technology. It equips plastic surgeons with the knowledge to navigate technical conversations with peers, trainees, patients, and technical partners for collaboration and to usher in a new era of technology in plastic surgery. From the mathematical basis of AI to its commercially viable applications, topics introduced herein constitute a framework for design and execution of quantitative studies that will better outcomes and benefit patients. Finally, adherence to the principles of quality data collection will leverage and amplify plastic surgeons’ creativity and undoubtedly drive the field forward.

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