preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery: a one day intensive course

The decline in undergraduate teaching in plastic surgery may affect student's decisions to pursue a career in the speciality and junior doctors may be insufficiently prepared for plastic surgery rotations during foundation or core surgical training. To address this issue, we have developed a one-day Basic Surgical Skills and Principles in Plastic Surgery Course designed to provide medical students with the relevant skills and knowledge required for placements in plastic surgery as junior doctors. A pre- and post-course questionnaire was used to record self-assessment of confidence in various domains. Our results show that students were significantly less confident in starting foundation training rotations in plastic surgery (mean 3.59, SD 1.56) compared with general surgery (mean 5.75, SD 1.95) (p < 0.0001), and ‘any specialty’ (mean 5.88, SD 1.54) (p < 0.0001). However, a one-day course can significantly address this imbalance: 100% increase in confidence in starting rotations in plastic surgery (pre-course mean 3.59 (SD 1.56), post-course mean 7.20 (SD 1.60), p < 0.0001). We conclude that medical students should have greater exposure to teaching in plastic surgery and that this could be achieved in-part through courses in basic surgical skills and principles in plastic surgery.