Background: Plastic Surgery residency is competitive, and there is literature that currently identifies predictors of a successful match into plastic surgery residency. However, there is a paucity of literature outlining the barriers that URiM students face to achieve the metrics to become a successful plastic surgery candidate for the match. Our study aims to identify barriers for URiM medical students applying to plastic surgery residency programs.
Methods: Our study is divided into two parts. First we performed a 10 year review of the literature using PUBMED from 2013-2023 looking into barriers faced by medical students to become a successful match candidate. Secondly, we distributed a survey geared towards medical students interested in plastic surgery residency. IRB approval was obtained for the study. A REDCap survey was distributed to the medical student members of the Student National Medical Association Plastic Surgery Interest Group and Women of Color in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Results: Thirty-two (32) medical students responded. The majority of respondents identified as female (87%) and described their race as “Black or African-American” (75%), and 13% described their ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino. These students spanned various stages of their medical education, with 1st-year students comprising 7%, 2nd-year students 10%, 3rd-year students 29%, 4th-year students 19%, and gap year students 36%. A substantial proportion of respondents identified as underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) students (84.4%), while 34% reported being low income, and 50% identified as first-generation students. Additionally, 19% of respondents were from the LGBTQ+ community.The vast majority of students (94%) attend allopathic medical schools. Thirty-nine percent of the students did not have access to a home Plastic Surgery program. Among the students, 53% were planning on taking a gap year with 100% of students using the time for clinical or basic science research. Only 4 (17.4%) students applied for scholarships for their away rotations, with only 3 of the 4 students successfully receiving a scholarship. The majority of students (55%), were unable to attend academic plastic surgery conferences. Of those who attended, 71% received no financial support from their schools, while 30% reported expenditures exceeding $2000. The primary barriers identified by students included low research productivity (58%), lack of connectedness with residency programs (58%), absence of mentorship (51%), financial hardships (41%), and 29 % were discouraged from applying by faculty at their home institution.
Conclusion: This study sheds light on the multifaceted barriers identified by URiM medical students seeking admission to Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) residency programs, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support mechanisms and equitable opportunities in education and training.