Satisfaction from plastic surgery residency: A national survey

Background Plastic surgery residency programs in Israel have undergone several changes over the years, but the perspectives and satisfaction of the residents have not been investigated. Methods An anonymous national survey of plastic surgery residents in Israel was performed. Demographic, professional, and education variables were summarized using descriptive statistics, and findings were related to self-reported satisfaction levels using univariate analysis. Results The response rate was 75.9%. Response rates to surgery and education-related items were as follows: 60% performed 5 to 15 surgeries/month; 60.3% performed fewer than 5 surgeries/month as the primary surgeon; 57.3% and 77.8%, respectively, received surgical and academic instruction from fewer than half the attending physicians; 33.9% and 32.3%, respectively, had little or no in-hospital exposure to aesthetic surgeries. The average overall satisfaction rate was 3.33/5. Ten variables were significantly associated with increased satisfaction: total number of surgeries performed (P = 0.01); active participation in complex procedures (P = 0.0009); performing preoperative and postoperative management for one's patients (P = 0.016); marking one's patients preoperatively (P = 0.037); managing complications of one's patients (P = 0.0027); receipt of surgical instruction (P = 0.0035); receipt of academic medical instruction (P < 0.0001); sense that the training will provide the proper professional level (P < 0.0001) and independence (P = 0.0002); and subjective correspondence between demands and capabilities (P = 0.0004). Conclusions This study identifies several factors associated with plastic surgery resident satisfaction. It highlights factors that warrant changes by plastic surgery departments and faculty to improve resident training and increase their satisfaction. The questionnaire can also serve as a diagnostic and follow-up tool.