Junior plastic surgeon's confidence in aesthetic surgery practice: a comparison of two didactic systems

The importance of residents' training in aesthetic surgery and the need for acquiring confidence in performing cosmetic procedures is an established knowledge. A survey was done in two different training systems to evaluate the experience of junior plastic surgeons in performing four common aesthetic surgery procedures at the end of their residency. The first system guarantees a theoretical background and a certain number of aesthetic procedures to be performed by the trainee, in contrast to the second system where mainly theoretical knowledge in cosmetic surgery is warranted to residents. The residents' comfort in performing specific operations was quite varied between the two systems. The comparison showed that junior plastic surgeons reached a higher degree of self-confidence in aesthetic practice in system A when compared to system B. The similarities and differences between the two systems are analysed and discussed. The possibility of reforming residency programmes by following the structure and the philosophy of system A is proposed.