ABSTRACT
For 22 years, a reproducible introductory overview course on plastic surgery for medical students, cosponsored by four medical schools, three universities and the regional chapter of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP), has contributed to medical education in Curitiba, a city of 2 million, and serving a metropolitan population of nearly 3 million people. This course helps medical students determine if plastic surgery is the right choice for them and provides valuable information about the specialty itself that will serve all participants as they go forward into their chosen fields, as plastic surgeons or not. This broad-ranging 47 hour course, limited to 120 students, is fully enrolled every year. Its content is weighted approximately 70% toward reconstructive plastic surgery and 30% toward aesthetic plastic surgery. Most lectures are presented by plastic surgeons who are full members of the SBCP. During its first 19 years of operation, 4.6% of the students completing the course have gone on to a general surgery residency followed by a plastic surgery residency, and are current SBCP members. The course has become a valuable educational and marketing tool for the regional chapter of the SBCP. It promotes the unique scope of the specialty and increases awareness among participants, as well as among their many personal and professional contacts (currently and in the future) about the benefits of becoming fully qualified, board-certified plastic surgeons.
Keywords:
Plastic surgery; Education; Education medical; Teaching
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