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A Review on the State of Preclinical Mentorship Programs in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Bryce Dzubara, Nojan Bajestani, Stephanie Paras, Eric Min, Shuchi Sharma, Juhi Katta, Cristiane Ueno MD
Cristiane Ueno MD
2023-01-25
Presenter: Stephanie Paras
Affidavit:
This work is the original work of The Ohio State University College of Medicine Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Interest Group, comprised of the author's listed in the abstract. Stephanie is a member of this group and has contributed a significant and appropriate portion of the created work.
Director Name: Cristiane Ueno
Author Category: Medical Student
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: General Reconstruction
Plastic and reconstructive surgery is consistently one of the most competitive medical specialties in the Match. The average USMLE standardized test scores and applicant research productivity continue to rise, while match rates are among the lowest of all medical specialties. In this competitive landscape, early exposure and excellent mentorship are paramount to student match success. However, preclinical students are not adequately exposed to plastic surgery. A literature review of preclinical plastic surgery mentorship programs was conducted in PubMed and Embase to identify extracurricular mentorship opportunities specifically involving preclinical students in plastic surgery. A total of 68 references were identified, and 19 duplicates were removed. A total of 19 studies passed initial screenings and were assessed for full-text eligibility, but only 2 studies were included after 17 studies did not meet inclusion criteria. A thorough review of the included studies indicated that preclinical medical students achieve self-identified goals and generate longitudinal benefits in plastic surgery by participating in mentorship programs. However, the limited number of studies in this review highlights a lack of available documented plastic surgery mentorship programs and reveals a knowledge gap concerning the successful creation of such programs. Broadening analysis to other surgical subspecialties, mentorship programs provide medical students with the necessary opportunities to gain exposure, cultivate interest, and match successfully. Moreover, future plastic surgery mentorship programs can potentially replicate successful mentorship programs in other specialties to address the lack of formalized mentorship opportunities for preclinical medical students in plastic surgery.
