A role of university surgical societies in improving medical student exposure to plastic and reconstructive surgery: A UK perspective

摘要

Dear Sirs,As members of the Cardiff University Surgical Society Journal Club, we discussed with great interest the recently published article by Agarwal et al on medical student perceptions of the scope of plastic and reconstructive surgery. The article highlights issues that are particularly pertinent to our undergraduate experience, as the medical curriculum in Cardiff features no dedicated teaching in plastic surgery. Furthermore, our nearest specialist center, The Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, offering care for the population of 2.3 million across Wales, is unpractically located to gain some additional exposure. Nevertheless, despite these limitations, the opportunities to gain first-hand experience of plastic surgery can be found mainly through self-organized "student selected components" and grand-round type seminars. These offerings, however, are sporadic and highly heterogeneous and unfortunately inaccessible to most students.