Jason Silvestre1, Christopher Runyan2, Jesse A Taylor3. 1. Division of Plastic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 2. Department of Plastic Surgery, New York University, New York, New York. 3. Division of Plastic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: jataylor@gmail.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In North America, the number of craniofacial surgery fellowship graduates is increasing, yet an analysis of practice settings upon graduation is lacking. We characterize the practice types of recent graduates of craniofacial fellowship programs in the United States and Canada. DESIGN: A 6-year cohort of craniofacial fellows in the United States and Canada (2010-2016) were obtained from craniofacial programs recognized by the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery. Practice setting was determined at 1 and 3 years of postgraduation, and predictors of practice setting were determined. RESULTS: A total of 175 craniofacial surgeons were trained at 35 fellowship programs. At 1 year of postgraduation, 33.6% had an academic craniofacial position and 27.1% were in private practice (p = 0.361). A minority of graduates pursued additional fellowships (16.4%), nonacademic craniofacial positions (10.0%), academic noncraniofacial positions (5.7%), and international practices (7.1%). At 3 years of postgraduation, the percentage of graduates in academic craniofacial positions was unchanged (34.5% vs 33.6%, p = 0.790). The strongest predictors of future academic craniofacial practice were completing plastic surgery residency at a program with a craniofacial fellowship program (odds ratio = 6.78, p < 0.001) and completing an academic craniofacial fellowship program (odds ratio = 4.48, p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: A minority of craniofacial fellowship graduates practice academic craniofacial surgery. A strong academic craniofacial surgery background during residency and fellowship is associated with a future career in academic craniofacial surgery. These data may assist trainees choose training programs that align with career goals and educators select future academic surgeons.
OBJECTIVE: In North America, the number of craniofacial surgery fellowship graduates is increasing, yet an analysis of practice settings upon graduation is lacking. We characterize the practice types of recent graduates of craniofacial fellowship programs in the United States and Canada. DESIGN: A 6-year cohort of craniofacial fellows in the United States and Canada (2010-2016) were obtained from craniofacial programs recognized by the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery. Practice setting was determined at 1 and 3 years of postgraduation, and predictors of practice setting were determined. RESULTS: A total of 175 craniofacial surgeons were trained at 35 fellowship programs. At 1 year of postgraduation, 33.6% had an academic craniofacial position and 27.1% were in private practice (p = 0.361). A minority of graduates pursued additional fellowships (16.4%), nonacademic craniofacial positions (10.0%), academic noncraniofacial positions (5.7%), and international practices (7.1%). At 3 years of postgraduation, the percentage of graduates in academic craniofacial positions was unchanged (34.5% vs 33.6%, p = 0.790). The strongest predictors of future academic craniofacial practice were completing plastic surgery residency at a program with a craniofacial fellowship program (odds ratio = 6.78, p < 0.001) and completing an academic craniofacial fellowship program (odds ratio = 4.48, p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: A minority of craniofacial fellowship graduates practice academic craniofacial surgery. A strong academic craniofacial surgery background during residency and fellowship is associated with a future career in academic craniofacial surgery. These data may assist trainees choose training programs that align with career goals and educators select future academic surgeons.
Authors: Guglielmo Mantica; Pietro Fransvea; Francesco Virdis; Timothy C Hardcastle; Hilgard Ackermann; Carlo Terrone; Gianluca Costa; André Van der Merwe; Genoveffa Balducci; Elmin Steyn Journal: World J Surg Date: 2019-09 Impact factor: 3.352