Medical student perceptions of the scope of plastic and reconstructive surgery in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Reconstructive surgery is performed on body parts damaged due to a disease or another adverse condition to restore the appearance and function to the point before the damage. This study aimed at assessing the scope of knowledge about plastic and reconstructive surgery among the medical students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study of a convenience sample was conducted to assess the awareness of medical students' perceptions of the scope of plastic and reconstructive surgery in Saudi Arabia. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to all Saudi medical students using the convenience sampling technique. A total of 814 participants completed the study. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 Results: A total of 814 participants were included in this study. Participants were divided by school year: 212 (26%) of the participants were in the second year, 94 (11.5%) were in the third year, 148 (18.2%) were in the fourth year, 89 (10.9%) were in the fifth year, 145 (17.8%) were in the sixth year, and 126 (15.5%) were interns. As for the participants' regions in Saudi Arabia, 179 (22%) were from the central region, 126 (15.5%) were from the eastern region, 117 (14.4%) were from the northern region, 145 (17.8%) were from the western region, and 247 (30.3%) were from the southern region. Conclusion: The knowledge of plastic surgery among medical students was found inadequate. Medical students are more familiar with burn treatment and the aesthetic aspect of plastic surgery (such as rhinoplasty, breast reconstruction, and cleft lip correction).