Thawanyarat, Kometh

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.

Abstract Background Instagram (Menlo Park, CA) has become a popular means of advertisement for aesthetic surgery procedures, influencing patients’ likelihood of undergoing a procedure. In this study, the authors aim to explore public interest in aesthetic procedures before and after the Instagram platform started gaining in popularity through Google Trends (Google, Mountain View, CA), a platform with previously demonstrated utility for tracking interest in surgical procedures. Objectives The authors hypothesize that as a result of increased medical marketing on Instagram, there is an increase in public interest in elective procedures of plastic surgery. Methods Trends in the United States for given search terms and volumes were gathered through Google Trends between April 2004 and January 2022. Search terms included popular aesthetic procedures based on the 2020 Aesthetic Plastic Surgery National Data Bank Statistics. The search volumes were normalized, and a bivariate regression analysis of panel data was then applied to the aggregate trendlines to determine whether a statistically significant change in search volume occurred following the increase in user traffic of the Instagram platform. Results The authors found significant variations in search volume for plastic surgery procedures before and after April 2012. Blepharoplasty, Botox, brachioplasty, breast implant removal, breast reduction, brow lift, butt lift, hair transplantation, lip augmentation, male breast surgery, mastopexy, mentoplasty, otoplasty, platysmaplasty, rhinoplasty, and thighplasty (P < .000) had statistically significant increases in search volume, whereas buccal fat removal (P = .003) had a statistically significant decrease in search volume after April 2012. Conclusions The authors observed a significant increase in public interest in both surgical and nonsurgical aesthetic procedures after Instagram gained popularity in the April of 2012.

Abstract Background Patients routinely use social media to locate providers, review before-and-after photographs, and discuss experiences, making it a powerful marketing tool for plastic surgeons. A few studies have systematically evaluated plastic surgery app content. Objectives This study aims to analyze engagement levels and content posted by top plastic surgeon influencers on Instagram (Menlo Park, CA). Methods The authors conducted a cross-sectional study in February 2022 to identify the top 10 global plastic surgeons on Instagram. Influencers were ranked based on the number of followers, and their latest 20 posts were analyzed. A total of 200 posts were categorized by 2 independent trainees as one of the following: marketing, education, personal, and miscellaneous. The number of likes was recorded as a proxy for engagement, and the average engagement for each category was calculated. Results The top 10 influencers work primarily in private practice focusing on aesthetic procedures. Out of 200 categorized posts on Instagram, marketing posts had the greatest presence (64.5%), followed by personal (20%), miscellaneous (11%), and educational (4.5%). More still images were posted (56.5%) than videos (43.5%). The highest average engagement was for personal content (P = .005). No significant differences in engagement levels were found between photo and video content (P = .24). Conclusions Although most content posted related to marketing efforts, many influencers were also using social media to post about their personal lives and promote their ancillary businesses. Although marketing content was the most common, engagement levels were the highest for personal and educational content, and no significant differences in engagement were found between videos and photos.