Differences in Plastic Surgery Training Programs in China and the United States: Similarities, Pitfalls, and Opportunities.

Abstract

As fueled by the booming of China's plastic surgery industry, the demand for prominent plastic surgeons has been growing. Accordingly, a better and more standard training system of plastic surgery specialists should be urgently implemented in China. To delve into and optimize the training system of this study, Peking University Health Science Center and Harvard Medical School are selected as the representatives of China and the United States, and the plastic surgery specialist training system between these 2 countries are compared based on literature research. As revealed from the results, the United States has gained sufficient experience in training of plastic surgery specialists. Moreover, the management agency of such training is more professional, as characterized by its longer development history, higher access requirement, more standard training program, higher training demands, as well as more quantitative training assessment. Thus, there is rich experience of the United States that can be referenced by China.