Evaluation of a Simulation-Based Minielective on Medical Student Interest in Plastic Surgery.

Abstract

Exposure to plastic surgery in preclinical years of medical school is extremely limited. It is in the interest of the field to educate all medical students about plastic surgery so that otherwise excellent candidates are not excluded because of inexperience and that a capable and diverse student body can be identified early and mentored closely. Furthermore, with the increasing competitiveness of integrated training programs,1 it is advantageous for medical students to be able to decide to apply to a plastic surgery residency earlier.2 Our goal was to create an opportunity for medical students to learn about the diverse field through lectures, engage through hands-on simulations, discover research opportunities, connect with resident and faculty mentors, and prepare applicants for the Match process and possibly a career in a plastic surgery. A plastic surgery minielective was developed for preclinical medical students consisting of five 3-hour sessions, with each week focusing on a different topic, including the following: craniofacial, cleft lip and palate, microsurgery, breast, hand, aesthetics, research, and education. Sessions consisted of lectures followed by a hands-on component including a suturing session, flap design, facial drawings, hand examination, and resident panel. Precourse and postcourse surveys were administered to identify interest in, awareness of, and barriers to the field of plastic surgery. This course was offered to all preclinical medical students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine: 25 students completed the precourse survey, and 22 completed the postcourse survey. The majority of students were first-year medical students (76 percent), female (56 percent), and Asian (52 percent). Awareness of the independent and integrated pathways increased from 80 percent and 72 percent, respectively, to 100 percent following the course (p < 0.05). There was a 34 percent increase in plastic surgery as the top residency to which students would most likely apply (p < 0.05). Students’ self-rated ability to perform skills such as a laceration repair, knot tying, craniofacial examination, reading a hand radiograph, assessing wound reconstruction (p < 0.05), identifying breast reconstruction options (p < 0.05), and initiating and completing a hypothesis-driven research project improved. Results from the overall experience obtained by means of a postcourse survey showed that 100 percent of medical students strongly agreed or agreed that the minielective increased knowledge of plastic surgery (Table 1). All participants strongly agreed or agreed that residents and attending physicians, respectively, engaging with students improved the minielective experience. Importantly, 100 percent of students felt more comfortable in seeking out a mentor in plastic surgery, as mentorship is a crucial factor when deciding specialty.3,4 Lastly, 95 percent strongly agreed or agreed that the minielective promoted interactions between students and attending physicians. Table 1. - Students’ Evaluation of the Overall Course Experience Issue Strongly Agree (%) Agree (%) Neutral (%) Disagree (%) Strongly Disagree (%) Lectures increased interest in plastic and reconstructive surgery as a career 17 (77.27) 3 (13.64) 2 (9.09) 0 0 Simulations increased interest in plastic and reconstructive surgery as a career 14 (63.64) 7 (31.82) 1 (4.55) 0 0 Increased knowledge in plastic surgery 18 (81.82) 4 (18.18) 0 0 0 Simulations made me feel more confident about pursuing a surgical career 11 (50.0) 6 (27.27) 5 (22.73) 0 0 Resident instructors for simulations increased my interest 15 (68.18) 6 (27.27) 1 (4.55) 0 0 Residents engaged with students improved experience 18 (81.82) 4 (18.18) 0 0 0 Attending physicians engaged with students improved experience 20 (90.91) 2 (9.09) 0 0 0 Promoted interactions between students and attending physicians 18 (81.82) 3 (13.64) 1 (4.55) 0 0 Feel more comfortable in seeking out a mentor in plastic surgery 17 (77.27) 5 (22.73) 0 0 0 In conclusion, the plastic surgery minielective is a positive way to increase interest in and awareness of the field of plastic surgery for preclinical medical students. Our results indicate multiples benefits for students, including longitudinal exposure, hands-on experiences, and access to residents and faculty for mentorship and research opportunities. This is a simple curriculum that could be adapted by other institutions and can help prepare medical students for the Match process and a career in plastic surgery. We hope that a plastic surgery minielective can help engage medical students and help shape the future of plastic surgery. DISCLOSURE The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article. No funding was received for this article. Eva Roy, B.S.Department of Plastic SurgeryUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Erin E. Anstadt, M.D.Department of Plastic SurgeryUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Joseph E. Losee, M.D.Division of Pediatric Plastic SurgeryUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterChildren’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Vu T. Nguyen, M.D.Department of Plastic SurgeryUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Jesse A. Goldstein, M.D.Division of Pediatric Plastic SurgeryUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterChildren’s Hospital of PittsburghPittsburgh, Pa.