Location, Location, Location: The Geographic Impact of Medical School on the Plastic Surgery Match.
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ABSTRACT: Background
This resident application cycle posed academic leadership and applicants with an unprecedented challenge: how to virtually match applicants to mutually beneficial programs. The authors sought to refer to previous years' data, specifically geographic trends, to better inform both program directors and applicants. The authors hypothesized that geography, as it pertains to the transition from medical school to residency, impacts match patterns.Methods
The study was designed as a cross-sectional analysis including all current integrated plastic surgery residents. The independent websites of all accredited integrated plastic surgery programs were then queried for the desired demographic resident information. Additionally, as an illustrative endpoint, geospatial heat maps were generated to better understand geographic trends.Results
All (n = 78) integrated plastic surgery programs and 953 residents were included in the study. Nearly half (47.2%) of current residents remain in the same geographic region in which they obtained their medical degree, with 26% and 17% remaining in the same state and institution, respectively. Students within all regions (North, South, Midwest, West) were more likely to stay within that region for residency (OR 2.59, 2.39, 2.09, 3.80, respectively). Students attending medical schools with affiliated integrated plastic surgery residencies have matched to programs with significantly higher Doximity rankings (p < 0.0001).Conclusions
Matched integrated plastic surgery applicants are more likely to continue their training at institutions in closer geographic proximity to their medical schools. Students graduating from medical schools without affiliated integrated plastic surgery programs appear to be at a disadvantage during the match process.
SUBMITTER: Glener AD
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8057751 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundCOVID-19 had significant impact on the 2021 integrated plastic surgery match, most notably through cancellation of away rotations and virtual interviews. While previous studies have analyzed geographic outcomes of the match in prior years, the effects of COVID-19 have not been determined. This study aims to contribute 2021 match data to determine the effects of COVID-19 on the geographic distribution of the integrated plastic surgery match.MethodsOfficial match results for each program were populated by searching official program institutional websites and social media pages. Trainees' home medical institutions and current integrated plastic surgery residency programs were noted. Statistical analysis compared geographic distribution in COVID-19 affected (2021) and non-COVID-19 affected (2015-2020) match years.ResultsOf 85 integrated plastic surgery programs, 80% (n = 68) of programs and 1,015 matched trainees were included in this study. The average percentage of institutional matches in COVID-19-affected match year was 25.12%, compared to 16.67% for non-COVID-19-affected match years (p = 0.0012). The odds ratio of matching at a home institution in 2021 compared to prior years was 1.68 (95% CI 1.11-2.53).ConclusionsOur study is consistent with previous studies that demonstrate strong match preferences for affiliated medical students but also adds that this trend may be amplified in the post-COVID-19 era. While multiple factors may be involved in geographic distributions of residency match outcomes, the results of this study suggest that COVID-19 restrictions on travel and exposure to outside programs may have contributed to an even higher percentage of matches within the same institution.
| S-EPMC8225370 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundResidency program location may be an important factor for orthopedic surgery residency applicants. More than half of residents locate their practice near the site of their training, and surgical specialties (eg, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, and general surgery) have shown geographic patterns in their residency matches.ObjectiveWe analyzed geographic trends in the orthopedic surgery Match.MethodsHometown, undergraduate institution, and medical school "preresidency locations" of all allopathic, nonmilitary, orthopedic surgery residents were recorded from program websites for the 2015-2016 academic year. Program and preresidency locations were coded according to state and US census division. Statistical analysis was used to investigate associations between residency program locations and preresidency locations.ResultsOf 2662 residents in the study, 1220 of 2614 (47%), 536 of 1329 (40%), and 308 of 744 (41%) matched into the same division as their medical school, undergraduate institution, and hometown, respectively. There were significant differences among divisions (P < .001). Also, 817 of 2662 (31%), 319 of 1329 (24%), and 200 of 770 (26%) residents matched in the same state as their medical school, undergraduate institution, and hometown, respectively, with significant differences between states for medical school (P < .0001) and undergraduate institution (P < .0001), but not hometown (P = .22). Overall, 21% of residents (538 of 2612) matched at the program affiliated with their medical school.ConclusionsThere is an association among hometown, undergraduate institution, and medical school for the training program location in which orthopedic surgery residents match, with variability in locations matched at state and census division levels.
| S-EPMC6108356 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMedical students receive limited exposure to the field of plastic surgery because most students will not rotate in plastic surgery, especially those at schools without dedicated plastic surgery residency programs. This study aimed to create and validate a plastic surgery learning module for medical students to dispel media-propagated myths and misrepresentation of the breadth of plastic surgery and equip students with referral-making capabilities.MethodsThe plastic surgery learning module was created using Articulate Storyline 360 (New York, N.Y.). Student participants were recruited from a single medical school across all four classes. Pre- and postmodule surveys were administered via Qualtrics (Provo, Utah). Scores were computed for the general surgical knowledge section and for each specialty referral question.ResultsTwelve students completed usability testing and edits were subsequently made to optimize the module. The module took on average 66 minutes to complete. Sixty-five students (19 MS1, 16 MS2, 15 MS3, 15 MS4) completed efficacy testing. In the premodule survey, students were nearly 100% accurate in identifying breast-related referrals, unlike pediatric/craniofacial (avg: 68%), reconstruction/microsurgery (avg: 64%), and hand/upper extremity (avg: 30%) referrals. Students of all classes exhibited significant improvement in all testing categories except for the breast category, with the most improvement in the hand referrals category. Prior exposure to plastic surgery (57%) correlated with higher premodule hand (P = 0.003) and breast/cosmetic (P = 0.01) referral scores.ConclusionThe plastic surgery learning module shows promise to be a comprehensive yet affordable and time-efficient tool for medical students to learn about basic surgical principles and the scope of plastic surgery.
| S-EPMC8769105 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Interviews for the integrated plastic surgery residency match took place in a virtual format for the 2020-2021 application cycle. Current literature lacks the perspectives of program directors (PDs) on virtual interviews compared with traditional in-person interviews.MethodsFollowing institutional review board approval, an anonymous 17-question survey was distributed by email to 82 program directors of integrated plastic surgery residency programs in the United States. Participants were asked baseline program information, the number of positions and interview invites offered, and their perspectives on various aspects of the virtual interview process.ResultsSixty-two (75.6%) PDs completed the survey. Thirty-seven percent reported increasing the number of interview offers per available residency spot. On a five-point Likert scale (1, not well at all; 5, extremely well), PDs showed no significant differences in their ability judge an applicant's professionalism (3.1 ± 1.1), interpersonal and communication skills (3.2 ± 1.1), and "fit" with their program (2.9 ± 0.9) during virtual interviews (P = 0.360). Sixty-eight percent reported being satisfied (15.3% extremely satisfied, 52.5% somewhat satisfied) with the virtual interview process, though 76.3% preferred in-person interviews.ConclusionsThis study is the first to provide insight into PDs' impressions of virtual residency interviews. Although most reported being satisfied with the virtual interview process, the majority still preferred in-person interviews. Further long-term studies evaluating the pros and cons of each interview modality may provide more information on whether virtual interviews could become a sustainable alternative to the traditional in-person residency interview.
| S-EPMC8376389 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background Plastic surgery has developed to benefit in a variety of challenging areas formerly handled by other disciplines. Medical students do not have a clear picture of plastic surgery as a career due to lacking scope, clinical practice, and understanding of plastic surgery as a clinical area of expertise, including general practitioners, nursing staff, medical trainees, and the general public, and misconceptions about the extent of reconstructive and plastic surgery. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on Kuwait University Medical students (2nd-7th Years) over a period of 1 month. A questionnaire and a consent form were provided to eligible students. The inclusion criteria were Kuwait University Medical students from 2nd to 7th Years with signed consent form. The response was collected via email sent in coordination with the Vice Dean of Student Affairs in the Faculty of Medicine. Using statistical package for the social sciences, responses were statistically analyzed. Pearson's chi-square test was used to calculate p -values, where p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 244 eligible medical students, 121 males and 123 females, were included in the study, with a mean age of 21 (±2) years. Similarly, 126 (51.6%) were preclinical students (2nd-4th-year students), while 118 (48.4%) were clinical students (5th-7th-year students). About 79.8% of medical students believed that plastic surgery plays an essential role in trauma management, whereas 9.2% did not consider plastic surgery significant for trauma management. This study found that only 15.5% of medical students were interested in enrolling in plastic surgery residency after graduation, while 47.1% of students did not consider plastic surgery residency after graduation. However, 37.4% were uncertain. The two most driving factors in deciding on plastic surgery residency were expected income (61.8%) and lifestyle (14.3%). Conclusion Improving medical students' education quality can enhance their perception and awareness of plastic surgery. Students should be taught the broader scope of plastic surgery. The inclusion of formal training during undergraduation is the essence of time and should be added to or improved during plastic surgery rotations with more emphasis on reconstructive and hand/peripheral nerve surgery. Student-led interest groups can be a useful tool for educating students about their specialty.
| S-EPMC11001442 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: International medical graduates (IMGs) are physicians who did not attend medical school in the USA or Canada. IMGs comprise nearly one-quarter of the physician workforce and play a vital role in health care. Here, we aimed to identify the prevalence of IMGs in integrated programs and evaluate factors that influence their success in the residency match. Methods: The annual match reports from 2010 to 2020 were retrieved and summarized. Electronic surveys for program directors and program coordinators were distributed to US integrated plastic surgery programs. Each program’s website was appraised for information regarding the eligibility of IMGs. Websites were also used to identify the number of IMG residents. Results: The number of applicants who matched into integrated programs ranged from 69 to 180 per year, of which US applicants comprised 61–165. US IMGs filled one to three positions per year, whereas non-US IMGs filled two to seven. Although 48% of programs have matched non-citizen IMGs and 79% have not encountered difficulties during the visa process, 67% of coordinators reported that the onboarding process is more challenging for IMGs. There are no IMGs in 52% of programs, and most institutions offer information on their website regarding visa sponsorship. Conclusion: IMGs make up less than 10% of filled positions per cycle. Although most programs accept IMGs, a small number matriculate. This may be explained by the competitiveness of integrated programs and the volume of IMG applications. Further research is needed to identify contributing factors of low IMG representation in plastic surgery programs.
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Project description:ObjectivesThe wide variety of operations that a plastic surgeon can deal with creates confusion regarding its proper scope. This confusion was observed in primary physicians as well as medical students. Increasing the perception of medical students toward plastic surgery can aid in career decision-making and early referral patterns. The aim of this study is to gauge a holistic overview of how medical students and interns perceive the plastic and aesthetic surgical specialty in King Faisal University and to suggest a recommended plan.MethodsAn online questionnaire was distributed equally to male and female medical students and interns in a local medical institute. The questionnaire constituted three sections; the first included the biographical data. The second is concerned with the different case scenarios and specialties to be chosen. The third is concerned with the previous clinical exposures. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 21. Between comparison, chi-square tests, Mann-Whitney U-test, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied. Normality tests were conducted using the Shapiro-Wilk's test.ResultsTwo hundred ninety-two students and interns have participated and completed the questionnaire. There were 189 males and 103 females. Plastic surgery was most commonly chosen in the following case scenarios; burn of the hand (74%), broken nose (64.7%), and cosmetic nose reshaping (80.8%). However, plastic surgery was infrequently chosen (selected by <30% of students) in many areas of hands and peripheral neuropathies (severed finger extensor tendon (26.4%), fractured scaphoid (12.7%), carpal tunnel syndrome (14.4%), brachial plexus injury (16.1%)). The most common source of information was the social media, and the least one is meeting with doctors and professors.ConclusionMedical students and interns lack a full view of plastic and reconstructive surgery, especially in hand and peripheral neuropathies. Improving the education of medical students and interns is recommended and needed.
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Project description:IntroductionAuthors of knowledge syntheses make many subjective decisions during their review process. Those decisions, which are guided in part by author characteristics, can impact the conduct and conclusions of knowledge syntheses, which assimilate much of the evidence base in medical education. To better understand the evidence base, this study describes the characteristics of knowledge synthesis authors, focusing on gender, geography, and institution.MethodsIn 2020, the authors conducted meta-research to examine authors of 963 knowledge syntheses published between 1999 and 2019 in 14 core medical education journals.ResultsThe authors identified 4,110 manuscript authors across all authorship positions. On average there were 4.3 authors per knowledge synthesis (SD = 2.51, Median = 4, Range = 1-22); 79 knowledge syntheses (8%) were single-author publications. Over time, the average number of authors per synthesis increased (M = 1.80 in 1999; M = 5.34 in 2019). Knowledge syntheses were authored by slightly more females (n = 2047; 50.5%) than males (n = 2005; 49.5%) across all author positions. Authors listed affiliations in 58 countries, and 58 knowledge syntheses (6%) included authors from low- or middle-income countries. Authors from the United States (n = 366; 38%), Canada (n = 233; 24%), and the United Kingdom (n = 180; 19%) published the most knowledge syntheses. Authors listed affiliation at 617 unique institutions, and first authors represented 362 unique institutions with greatest representation from University of Toronto (n = 55, 6%). Across all authorship positions, the large majority of knowledge syntheses (n = 753; 78%) included authors from institutions ranked in the top 200 globally.ConclusionKnowledge synthesis author teams have grown over the past 20 years, and while there is near gender parity across all author positions, authorship has been dominated by North American researchers located at highly ranked institutions. This suggests a potential overrepresentation of certain authors with particular characteristics, which may impact the conduct and conclusions of medical education knowledge syntheses.
| S-EPMC8547645 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the functioning of global society and healthcare systems, including surgical departments. We aimed to assess alterations in plastic surgery training in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA 34-question survey was emailed in January and February 2021 to 54 National Associations of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeons throughout European countries. The questions concerned the general profile of plastic surgery trainees, plastic surgery department, and training organization during the COVID-19 pandemic and its influence on respondents' health. The acquisition of responses was finalized at the end of February 2021.ResultsAll 71 of the respondents reported alterations in planned courses, workshops, and conferences. Organizational changes included team rotation 62%, followed by redeployment to another department 45.1%. Reduction in admissions to the plastic surgery departments was more significant during the 1stt wave than the 2nd wave of COVID-19 pandemics. During the interim period, admission restrictions were proportional to the infection number. The most frequently reported surgical procedures performed were skin cancer surgeries, trauma, and burns (79%, 77%, and 77%). The majority, 62% of the respondents, noticed the negative impact of pandemics on training; 53.5% think their manual skills and clinical knowledge may deteriorate because of the pandemic. Respondents noticed that their mental (50.7%) and physical (32%) health worsened, along with feeling more stressed in general (57%).ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic limited plastic surgery departments' activities and implementation of the plastic surgery training program in all European countries involved in our study.
| S-EPMC8632853 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A shift in gender dominance from man to woman in the medical field has occurred from time to time globally, including in Indonesia's plastic surgery community. This shift may alter the education and clinical settings of plastic surgery. This study aimed to explore the effect of the phenomenon of women's dominance in plastic surgery residency programs in Indonesia.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach on three plastic surgery residency programs in Indonesia. Academic report review, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews of residents, lecturers, residency program managers, and alumni user groups were selected using the maximum variation sampling method. Data obtained were analyzed and processed thematically.ResultsThree themes emerged based on the educational process timeline: pre-education, intra-education, and post-education. Each timeline had several themes that mutually influenced the educational process. In the pre-educational process, residents' personal characters were affected by societies' positive and negative perceptions. The working environment, impact of women's dominance, and cultural dimension affected the intra-educational process. When entering the career life, residents expected an ideal working environment and had particular workplace preferences to achieve their well-being.ConclusionsThe impact of women's dominance during the educational program affected residents' daily dynamics. However, this dominance did not affect the quality of education and workloads.
| S-EPMC8373561 | biostudies-literature