The Comprehensive Cost of Pursuing Plastic Surgery: Unveiling Financial Burdens Along the Pipeline.

IF 1.6 4区 医学 Q3 SURGERY
Annals of Plastic Surgery Pub Date : 2025-10-01 Epub Date: 2025-08-06 DOI:10.1097/SAP.0000000000004422
Maheen F Akhter, Priscila C Cevallos, Payton K Grande, Golddy M Saldana, Kometh Thawanyarat, Cybil S Stingl, Naomi A Cole, Christopher V Lavin, Abra H Shen, Rahim S Nazerali, Jeffrey B Friedrich
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: Preparation for a career in plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) begins long before the residency application process. Given the challenging nature of matching into integrated PRS, the expectations for competitive applicants, including research productivity and networking at conferences, incur significant expenses. Our study is the first to detail the comprehensive costs of pursuing PRS, highlighting many hidden expenses that precede the application process.

Design and setting: A branched logic survey was created to inquire about respondents' demographics, personal finances, expenses related to education and research, and opinions on the comprehensive costs of pursuing PRS. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Participants: The survey was distributed to PRS residency applicants in the 2023-2024 cycle and to senior members of a virtual PRS research group. The survey achieved a 28.9% response rate.

Results: Most respondents were fourth-year medical students (57.3%) and attended a school without a home integrated residency program (42.7%). Of students who pursued a research year (37.1%), 40.7% were unpaid, and 53.3% reported living expenses exceeding their income. Most attended more than 5 PRS conferences (29.9%), corresponding to a median total cost of $2000 to $3000. Fourth-year students typically participated in 3 away rotations (40.0%) at a cost of $6000 to $9000. The financial burden of pursuing a career in PRS, including PRS-related extracurricular activities and application-associated costs, is estimated to be $33,400-$45,479. Nearly all respondents (96.6%) believed this cost was too high or excessively high; however, 93.3% determined that it was probably or definitely worth a career in PRS.

Conclusions: The lofty costs associated with pursuing PRS are unsustainable for many. Additional efforts should be made to reduce financial barriers for PRS applicants. Ensuring funding to all students pursuing a research year, diversifying scholarships for conference attendance and away rotations, increasing loan forgiveness opportunities, and expanding use of lower-cost application options such as the Plastic Surgery Common Application are potential solutions to offset the cost of pursuing PRS.

追求整形手术的综合成本:揭示管道中的经济负担。
目的:整形和重建外科(PRS)职业生涯的准备工作早在住院医师申请过程之前就开始了。考虑到与综合PRS相匹配的挑战性,对有竞争力的申请人的期望,包括研究生产力和会议网络,会产生大量费用。我们的研究首次详细介绍了申请永久居留权的综合成本,突出了申请过程之前的许多隐性费用。设计与设置:创建了一个分支逻辑调查,询问受访者的人口统计学,个人财务状况,与教育和研究相关的费用,以及对追求PRS的综合成本的看法。定性和定量数据的收集和分析采用描述性统计。参与者:该调查在2023-2024周期内分发给PRS居民申请人和虚拟PRS研究小组的高级成员。调查的回复率为28.9%。结果:大多数受访者为四年级医学生(57.3%),就读于没有家庭综合住院医师计划的学校(42.7%)。在从事研究一年的学生中(37.1%),40.7%的人没有薪水,53.3%的人报告生活费用超过收入。大多数人参加了5次以上的PRS会议(29.9%),相应的总费用中位数为2000元至3000元。四年级学生通常参加3次轮岗(40.0%),费用为6000美元至9000美元。从事PRS职业的经济负担,包括与PRS相关的课外活动和申请相关的费用,估计为33,400美元至45,479美元。几乎所有的受访者(96.6%)认为这一成本太高或过高;然而,93.3%的人认为从事公共关系可能或肯定是值得的。结论:追求PRS的高昂成本对许多人来说是不可持续的。应作出进一步努力,减少对PRS申请人的财政障碍。确保资助所有学生进行一年的研究,为参加会议和巡回演出提供多样化的奖学金,增加贷款减免机会,扩大使用低成本的申请选择,如整形外科通用申请,这些都是抵消追求PRS成本的潜在解决方案。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
2.70
自引率
13.30%
发文量
584
审稿时长
6 months
期刊介绍: The only independent journal devoted to general plastic and reconstructive surgery, Annals of Plastic Surgery serves as a forum for current scientific and clinical advances in the field and a sounding board for ideas and perspectives on its future. The journal publishes peer-reviewed original articles, brief communications, case reports, and notes in all areas of interest to the practicing plastic surgeon. There are also historical and current reviews, descriptions of surgical technique, and lively editorials and letters to the editor.
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