Trainee and trainer experiences and recommendations for plastic surgery training: A qualitative pilot study.
Lilli Cooper1, Asmat H Din1, Edmund Fitzgerald O'Connor1
1Plastic Surgery Department, St Thomas' Hospital, London, SE17EH.
JPRAS Open
|December 17, 2021
Summary
Plastic surgery training in the UK faces significant challenges impacting learning and well-being. Addressing systemic issues and promoting equity are crucial for the specialty’s future development and competence.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Plastic Surgery
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing challenges in plastic surgery training.
- Training issues stem from complex system, generational, and individual factors.
- Quantitative methods alone struggle to fully elucidate these multifaceted problems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the perceptions of plastic surgical trainees and trainers in the UK.
- To identify key areas for improvement in current plastic surgery training programs.
Main Methods:
- Conducted ten semi-structured interviews with plastic surgery professionals.
- Utilized purposive sampling in a London-based plastic surgical unit.
- Coded interview data into four main themes: medical directives/service demands, sociocultural norms, equity/access, and training methods.
Main Results:
- Current plastic surgery training is suboptimal for both learning and trainee well-being.
- Training practices foster inequities, negatively impacting the specialty.
- Investment in trainers and diversity is needed, alongside efficient, monitored learning.
Conclusions:
- Further research with a broader scope is recommended.
- Findings can inform the development of future British plastic surgery training schemes and curricula.
