870 Delineation of Burn Surgery Coaching Trees: Describing Generational Influences of Leadership in Burn Care

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Genealogies, or family trees, provide graphic representations of family history, tracing lines of decent among its members. Professional sports, most notably the National Football League (NFL), have borrowed this concept in delineating “coaching trees”. Connections among coaches can be described by the head coach-assistant coach relationships and utilized to demonstrate philosophical influences among coaches. This project was an attempt to explore the application of this concept to the profession of burn surgery and see if it could provide insight into the relationships (i.e., mentorship) that have influenced generations of burn surgeons over the past fifty years. Methods The first step in the process was to examine data sources. This consisted of gleaning information from the American Burn Association (ABA) archives (1976–1996) housed at the National Library of Medicine, the digital archives of the ABA, relevant review of the peer-reviewed literature, the public domain (world wide web), and documentation from various burn programs. The next step was to consider varying methodological approaches to the construction of the tree. Results While coaching relationships in the NFL represent a complex adaptive network, the relationships in an burn surgical coaching tree represent an even more complex network and the analogies between the two systems break down. As an exploratory project, the decision was made to construct several different trees with relative simple relational lines, concentrating central nodes on various past association presidents, prominent burn directors, and robust burn fellowship programs. This was done to illustrate proof-of-concept and inform future iterations of the project. Conclusions Creating burn surgery coaching trees can be done demonstrating relatively simple relational lines and provide basic illustrations of the influences of leadership among generations and institutions. More advanced mathematical and social science methodologies can be applied to explore these relationships in greater depth and elucidate a more thorough understanding of successful relationships, mentorship, and leadership dynamics in this complex adaptive network. Applicability of Research to Practice The description of coaching trees provides important insights into the history of burn surgery and the process can be replicated for other professions represented on the burn care team. It validates the importance of maintaining robust archives for our posterity. The information thus organized may inform the approach of the organization and/or inclined individual leaders on how mentorship occurs within our profession.