Aesthetic Training in Plastic Surgery Residency

Abstract

Summary: Training in aesthetic surgery is a core element in a plastic surgery residency program. Nevertheless, in the past, many studies have shown the lack of resident confidence in aesthetic procedures upon graduation. In recent years, a number of efforts have been made to address this concern, including increasing the required residency aesthetic case requirements and the integration of resident aesthetic clinics to increase exposure and independence in this aspect of training. Numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of these resident-run clinics and have substantiated their value as an important educational tool in residency training and validated their safety in patient care. In fact, survey studies have shown that though residents today show a markedly increased confidence in their training when compared with the past, they still feel there is room for improvement in areas such as facial and minimally invasive surgeries, along with procedures that require higher patient volume to refine. In this article, we review the current state of aesthetic surgery training during plastic surgery residency and discuss future directions in the field.

Consumer Awareness and Comfort with Resident-run Cosmetic Clinics: A Crowdsourcing Study

“…For residents, they enhance cosmetic surgery training with increased autonomy in patient care, which is associated with a higher degree of resident confidence in performing cosmetic procedures. 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 For patients, they provide cosmetic procedures at discounted rates, oftentimes at 50% of the standard surgeon’s fee. 11 , 14 , 15 They also provide high patient satisfaction and have consistently proved to be safe, with complication rates comparable to the national standard.…”

“…6,7 For these reasons, graduating residents often feel less prepared to perform cosmetic surgery. [2][3][4]8,9 In 2014, Kraft et al found that only 36% of residents felt comfortable integrating aesthetic surgery into their practice after graduation. 1 Later that year, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education increased the minimum number of required aesthetic cases from 50 to 150 to address resident preparedness.…”

“…11,14,15 They also provide high patient satisfaction and have consistently proved to be safe, with complication rates comparable to the national standard. 9,11,[14][15][16][17] Because RCCs have proved invaluable for resident aesthetic education, continuing to grow this learning modality is important. To do so, it is paramount to consider the point-of-view of the consumer.…”

“…11,14,15 They also provide high patient satisfaction and have consistently proved to be safe, with complication rates comparable to the national standard. 9,11,14–17…”

A Systematic Review on the Implementation and Educational Value of Resident Aesthetic Clinics

“…In these clinics, residents perform preoperative evaluations, refine their operative skills, and treat postoperative complications all under the supervision of an attending physician. 3 Today, more than two-thirds of plastic surgery residency training programs in the United States have a dedicated RAC. 4 As RAC popularity has grown, so too has the research to evaluate these clinics' successes.…”