Evolution of a Plastic Surgery Summer Research Program: Lessons Learned from Programmatic Evaluation and Quality...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Research
• Plastic Surgery Training

Background:

• Early surgical exposure and research fellowships significantly influence medical students' career paths and academic achievements.
• There is a lack of published guidance on evaluating and enhancing formal plastic surgery summer research programs for early-stage medical students.
• This study addresses the need for programmatic evaluation and quality improvement strategies for sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present seven years of institutional experience (2013-2020) with a formal plastic surgery summer research program for first-year medical students.
• To provide insights and inform the development of sustainable research programs at other institutions.
• To analyze the program's impact on participant academic productivity and specialty choice.

Main Methods:

• Program evolution from a basic science arm (2013-2016) to include a clinical research arm and surgical skills curriculum (2017).
• Implementation of a formalized selection process with a scoring rubric, achieving good interrater reliability (ICC=0.75).
• Annual analysis of participant feedback and tracking of long-term outcomes, including research commitment, productivity, and residency match.

Main Results:

• The applicant pool grew significantly, with 85% of applicants from outside institutions by 2019, and an acceptance rate of 7% in 2020.
• On average, 28% of participants remained involved in departmental research, and 29% pursued dedicated research annually.
• Participants achieved a mean of 7 peer-reviewed publications, with 62% matching into surgical residencies, including 54% in integrated plastic surgery.

Conclusions:

• A well-structured research program for first-year medical students can effectively achieve academic goals in plastic surgery.
• Such programs provide crucial mentorship, networking, and self-guided learning opportunities.
• The program demonstrates a positive impact on student career development and success in surgical residency matching.