D51. The Comprehensive Cost of Applying To Plastic Surgery: Unveiling Financial Burdens along the Pipeline

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

PURPOSE: The expectations of plastic surgery (PS) applicants, like frequently publishing research and networking, incur significant expenses upon students. Our study details the comprehensive costs of pursuing PS. METHODS: A survey inquiring about demographics, finances, education and research-related expenses, and opinions on the costs of pursuing PS was distributed among senior medical students of a virtually-based PS research group. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: We achieved an 83.3% response rate. Most respondents lacked a home residency program (44%). Of students pursuing a research year, 40.0% were unfunded and 60.0% experienced costs of living exceeding their income. The comprehensive cost of pursuing PS is estimated at $212,000 - $217,300. When asked if finances and length of training are barriers to pursuing PS, 72.0% reported "yes, more than in other specialties." All believed that the cost of PS was "too high" or "excessively high." When asked if the overall costs were worth becoming a plastic surgeon, 48.0% reported "probably yes," and 40.0% reported "definitely yes." CONCLUSION: The requirements of becoming a competitive PS applicant impose a substantial, unsustainable opportunity cost on students. Additional efforts should be made to reduce financial barriers; funding all students pursuing a research year, increasing funding for conference attendance and away rotations, loan forgiveness, and decreasing length of training can potentially offset the cost of applying to PS.