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Leadership in Plastic Surgery
Carolyn Murphy, BA
Brandon Smith, BS
Alex Stavros, BS
Francesco Egro, MD, MSc, MSRC
Vu Nyugen, MD
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
2019-02-18
Presenter: Carolyn Piper Murphy
Affidavit:
I approve of this research and the comments made below
Director Name: Peter Rubin
Author Category: Medical Student
Presentation Category: Basic Science Research
Abstract Category: General Reconstruction
Purpose: The pathway to leadership in plastic surgery remains uncertain, but exceptional training represents a step toward success. Research has shown that 39% of academic plastic surgeons trained in ten programs nationally (Kuzon et al, 2014). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between leadership and plastic surgery training.
Methods: First, a cross-sectional study examined the demographics and training of plastic surgery faculty within ACGME accredited programs. Second, a retrospective review examined these parameters among past presidents of societies (American Association of Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Plastic Surgery Foundation, and Plastic Surgery Research Council). Data was gathered from institutional websites and society websites. Frequencies of leaders who trained at each institution during plastic surgery residency or fellowships were calculated.
Results: Although the 112 chairs or chiefs, 109 residency directors, and 66 fellowship directors identified trained at 90 institutions, the top ten accounted for 41% of the training received. The top five programs included University of Pittsburgh, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard Medical School, respectively. Similarly, the 230 past presidents across societies trained in 51 programs, but the top ten accounted for 51% of their training. The top five institutions were Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, Harvard Medical School, Washington University-St. Louis, and University of Pennsylvania, respectively. Across datasets, the top eight leadership producing institutions remained constant.
Conclusion: This study suggests that an elite cohort of institutions has consistently trained a large portion of the leaders in plastic surgery.
