The State of Burn Care Training During Plastic Surgery Residency

Abstract

Introduction There is an ongoing shortage of burn specialists, and workforce reports suggest possible hurdles attracting plastic surgeons into burn care. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the state of burn care in plastic surgery residency and (2) identify what barriers might exist for plastic surgeons pursuing a practice that involves burn care. Methods Surveys were distributed to North American plastic surgery program directors and residents, respectively, during the 2018–2019 academic year. Results Fifty-eight program directors (response, 54%) and 320 plastic surgery residents (response, 30%) participated. Burn care was felt to be an important component in training by most program directors (USA, 88%; Canada, 100%) and residents (USA, 87%; Canada, 99%). The majority of program directors included a burn unit rotation (USA, 88%; Canada, 90%). Rotations for integrated residents averaged 2.5 months and most commonly occurred during second year; independent residents spent 1.2 months on rotation, usually in first year. Three-quarters of American residents were interested in a career that involves burn care in some capacity, primarily burn reconstruction (40%). Factors that would discourage a trainee from practicing burn care in the future included the nature of burn care (60%) and burn operations (45%), the on-call commitment (39%), and a narrow scope of practice (38%). Discussion This study challenges the belief that plastic surgery trainees are disinterested in burn care. Burn surgery remains an important component of training programs, and we propose several steps to encourage greater interest and participation in the burn surgery workforce.

COVID-19 und Plastische Chirurgie – Schönheitschirurgie oder wichtiger Bestandteil der medizinischen Versorgung?

“…Entgegen der Wahrnehmung der Plastischen Chirurgie in der breiten Öffentlichkeit übernehmen plastisch-chirurgische Abteilungen an öffentlichen Spitälern als Letztversorger einen maßgeblichen Anteil in der Krankenversorgung, wobei der Schwerpunkt im plastisch-rekonstruktiven Behandlungsspektrum liegt [5][6][7][8]. Dazu zählen unter anderem die Versorgung komplexer Handverletzungen inklusive Replantationen, die Behandlung Schwerbrandverletzter, die chirurgische Therapie akuter Weichteil-und Knocheninfektionen sowie die interdisziplinäre Tumorchirurgie [9] -insbesondere im Falle der untersuchten universitären Abteilung in Graz mit überregionalem Versorgungsauftrag und einem dadurch entstehenden Einzugsgebiet mit über 2 000 000 Einwohnern.…”

Plastic Surgery in Burn Care

“…Studies have shown that gaining clinical experience in burn care during plastic surgery training was an integral aspect of the curriculum by a majority of program directors (88% of American PDs) and residents (87% of American residents). 9 Despite this, the ABA stated barriers to attracting plastic surgeons into burn surgery include a limited scope of practice, financial compensation structures, and the demanding nature of burn care management. 10 To address these barriers and inspire the next generation of plastic surgeons with a focus on burn care, exposure to burn surgery and mentorship are vital.…”

“…The results of this study also underscore the imperative of training the next generation of plastic surgeons who are interested in focusing on burn surgery. Studies have shown that gaining clinical experience in burn care during plastic surgery training was an integral aspect of the curriculum by a majority of program directors (88% of American PDs) and residents (87% of American residents) 9 . Despite this, the ABA stated barriers to attracting plastic surgeons into burn surgery include a limited scope of practice, financial compensation structures, and the demanding nature of burn care management 10 .…”

Practice Profile of Practicing Plastic Surgeons: A 20-year Review of Plastic Surgery Statistics

“…Interestingly, a 2020 survey by Vrouwe et al found that over 75% of plastic surgery residents are interested in burn surgery to some extent, despite the misconception that plastic surgeons no longer want to pursue burn care. 12 They cited two factors that may prevent residents interested in burn surgery from pursuing it as a career: the narrow scope of practice restricting them from having a nonburn component of their practice and the lack of exposure during residency training. Similar to the concerns expressed for hand surgery, a lack of a diverse practice and minimal exposure during residency training may push aspiring surgeons away from these fields.…”