A review of JPRAS' contribution to undergraduate surgical education

Undergraduate plastic surgery education: Problems, challenges, and proposals

“…The increasing fictional and nonfictional television programs and media exposure of esthetic interventions has created the impression that esthetic surgery is the dominant component of this specialty, as highlighted in a study[ 3 ] that showed that 89% of articles published in United Kingdom newspapers adopted “plastic surgery” in the context of “cosmetic surgery,” with only 10% referring to “reconstructive procedures.” Thus, as recent survey[ 2 ] demonstrate that medical students acquire their knowledge about the role of plastic surgeons primarily from the media/television, these misperceptions[ 1 2 ] of plastic surgeons as esthetic specialists can overshadow the role of plastic surgeons in fields as craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, pediatric plastic surgery, burn surgery, among other. [ 1 3 ] In addition, the lack of educational opportunities and direct clinic exposure to plastic surgery in undergraduate curricula (the proportion of medical schools teaching plastic surgery in their undergraduate curriculum has declined from 78% in 1986 to 13% in 2008, and many of the plastic surgery topics are being taught under other overlapping specialties within the undergraduate curriculum)[ 4 5 6 ] is another important reason for medical students misunderstand the work of plastic surgeons. [ 1 2 ]…”

“…The lack of knowledge about the scope of plastic surgeons’ practice[ 1 2 ] and limited plastic surgery exposure during medical school[ 4 5 6 ] demands urgent undergraduate educational measures to be established. As this education should occur at individual, regional, national, and global levels, all Plastic Surgery Societies, plastic surgeons, and medical educators should actively participate in the teaching and learning process of medical students.…”

“…As this education should occur at individual, regional, national, and global levels, all Plastic Surgery Societies, plastic surgeons, and medical educators should actively participate in the teaching and learning process of medical students. [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 ] Teaching should be brief, but include a broad overview of plastic surgery. [ 1 ] In plastic surgery literature, the most effective education method has been described as integration of plastic surgery into the core undergraduate curriculum.…”

“…[ 1 ] In plastic surgery literature, the most effective education method has been described as integration of plastic surgery into the core undergraduate curriculum. [ 2 4 6 ] However, as there are inherent difficulties of changing undergraduate curricula, alternative educational solutions are required for increased exposure to plastic surgery at the undergraduate level,[ 5 7 8 ] whereas an extensive educational reform does not occur. Therefore, multiple extracurricular or curricular training pathways (e.g., lecture and clinical rotations devoted to plastic surgical topics, lunch time talks with a plastic surgeon, theoretical, clinical and surgical settings, conferences, multidisciplinary symposiums, medical leagues, activity reports by E-mail and local newsletters, surgical skills practical sessions and workshops with feedback from plastic surgeons, educational courses by plastic surgeons at meetings for medical students, publication of plastic surgery review articles in medical education journals, and any combination of these) can be adopted to increase knowledge during undergraduate training about plastic surgeons’ practice and the role of these specialists within the healthcare system.…”

“…Therefore, multiple extracurricular or curricular training pathways (e.g., lecture and clinical rotations devoted to plastic surgical topics, lunch time talks with a plastic surgeon, theoretical, clinical and surgical settings, conferences, multidisciplinary symposiums, medical leagues, activity reports by E-mail and local newsletters, surgical skills practical sessions and workshops with feedback from plastic surgeons, educational courses by plastic surgeons at meetings for medical students, publication of plastic surgery review articles in medical education journals, and any combination of these) can be adopted to increase knowledge during undergraduate training about plastic surgeons’ practice and the role of these specialists within the healthcare system. [ 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 ] In addition, media and television should be encouraged to transmit comprehensive information about the true role of plastic surgeons in the public, including medical students. [ 3 ]…”