Resident Exposure to Aesthetic Surgical and Nonsurgical Procedures During Canadian Residency Program Training

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery Education
• Competency-Based Medical Education
• Aesthetic Surgery Training

Background:

• North American residency programs are adopting competency-based medical education (CBME) to standardize training.
• Procedural competencies are central to CBME assessment for graduating residents.
• A prior study identified 31 core procedural competencies (CPCs) for aesthetic surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize aesthetic procedures performed by Canadian plastic surgery residents.
• To assess resident confidence and involvement levels during these procedures.
• To identify potential gaps in aesthetic surgical training within CBME.

Main Methods:

• Retrieved case logs from 10 English-language Canadian plastic surgery residency programs (2004-2014).
• Identified and coded aesthetic procedures according to 31 defined CPCs.
• Extracted data on procedure type, program, academic year, resident role, and self-reported competence.

Main Results:

• 55 residents logged 6113 aesthetic procedures.
• Breast augmentation, mastopexy, and abdominoplasty were the most frequent CPCs, with high resident competence reported.
• Facial procedures (e.g., rhinoplasty) and nonsurgical CPCs showed lower exposure and competence levels.

Conclusions:

• Canadian plastic surgery residents encounter a majority of aesthetic CPCs, but procedural exposure varies.
• The transition to CBME necessitates addressing identified gaps in aesthetic case exposure, especially for specific procedures.
• Supplemental training may be required to ensure comprehensive resident competency in all core aesthetic domains.