Abstract 4: Global Health Involvement of Plastic Surgeons While In Residency and In Practice: Is There a Correlation?

Abstract

Background: It is generally assumed that global health involvement during training increases the likelihood that surgeons will participate in missions in practice. However, little data exists on the proportion of current practicing plastic surgeons who have participated in surgical missions prior to starting practice (before or during residency), and if this correlates with global health involvement while in practice. Methods: We conducted a survey of American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons membership to ascertain the impact of mission experiences and volunteerism in training on future involvement as a practicing physician. Surgeons were surveyed regarding the number of surgical missions attended at different phases of their education prior to starting practice (i.e., prior to medical school, during medical school, and during residency), and while in practice. Respondents were stratified by the number of years they had been in practice. Statistical analysis was performed via Fisher’s exact test, chi-square test, and correlation matrix, where appropriate. Results: 60 surgeons returned the survey (response rate 16.5%). 18 (30%) had been practicing for less than 10 years, 16 (26.7%) for 10-20 years, and 26 (43.3%) for more than 20 years. 18.3% of surgeons participated in surgical missions prior to medical school, 1.7% during medical school, 48.3% in residency, and 80% in practice. No significant difference in the number of surgeons participating in international surgical mission trips was found between those who had attended their first mission prior to starting practice and while in practice, regardless of their educational status during the initial global health experience (p = 0.3275). Involvement in international surgical missions during residency specifically was weakly correlated with later involvement during practice (r = 0.003, p = 0.981). Conclusion: This study provides a national survey of trends in global health involvement by plastic surgeons in the United States. Although early involvement in surgical missions is weakly correlated with global health involvement later in life, overall participation in missions was high in the sample of academic plastic surgeons who completed this survey.