Analysis of Plastic Surgery Publications Among Successfully Matched Integrated Plastic Surgery Residents

Area of Science:

• Medical Education and Training
• Surgical Research
• Academic Medicine

Background:

• Research productivity is a critical factor in integrated plastic surgery (IPS) residency admissions.
• The shift to pass/fail scoring for United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 has increased the importance of research metrics.
• Limited data exists on the publication trends among matched IPS residents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the content and types of plastic surgery-specific publications among matched IPS residents.
• To identify trends in publication subspecialties and article types over recent application cycles.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of matched IPS residents from 2022-2024 application cycles.
• Data collected from publicly available sources, focusing on PubMed-indexed publications.
• Articles screened for plastic surgery relevance and categorized by subspecialty, article type, and author role.

Main Results:

• 1612 plastic surgery publications were identified among 555 matched residents.
• Craniofacial, microsurgery, and breast were the most common subspecialties; burn and basic sciences were least represented.
• Microsurgery publications decreased, while aesthetic and gender-affirming care publications increased; systematic reviews/meta-analyses saw significant growth.

Conclusions:

• While craniofacial and microsurgery remain dominant, research focus is shifting towards aesthetic and gender-affirming care.
• Trends in publication types, particularly the rise of systematic reviews, indicate evolving research methodologies.
• Findings can inform mentorship, applicant strategies, and enhance transparency in IPS residency selection.