Accessibility of Plastic Surgery Research Fellowships

Plastic surgery is consistently one of the most competitive specialties to match into,1,2 with one of the highest number of research experiences per applicant annually.2 Because research becomes a marker of competitiveness, productive research fellowships are unsurprisingly popular. Research fellows are also found to continue producing more research throughout residency than peers.3 However, because not all students have access to plastic surgery mentoring or a home program, knowledge about available opportunities is not equitably distributed. We aimed to compile a list of active research fellowships in the United States and identify how easily accessible the information is. We searched online to identify fellowships, using combinations of keywords such as "plastic surgery," "research fellowship," "gap year opportunities," and "medical students." We defined "accessible" as being within the first four pages of a search engine or being posted on a national surgery organization's website. We monitored ACAPS and APDS from August 2022 to March 2023. A literature search was conducted, and medical school websites compiling external opportunities were cross-referenced. All programs were emailed for confirmation. A total of 19 fellowships were identified. (See table, Supplemental Digital Content 1, which displays the official research fellowships available. https://links.lww.com/PRSGO/D340). Eight programs had websites, seven created job listings, and only one program had both. The literature search yielded one 2021 article naming 18 opportunities, out of which, six corroborated our findings, nine were no longer offered, and three were confirmed to still be offered but didn't have an online presence.4 Accessibility-wise, 14 programs met our criteria. We found that medical schools did not highlight plastic surgery the same way they highlighted other specialties. Across a sample of six medical school websites, the average number of fellowships across any specialty was 11.5 (range 6–18), and the average number of plastic surgery fellowships was 0.2 (range 0–1). Of the 16 programs with websites or job postings, all included the types of research fellows would engage in, as well as application requirements; however, 62.5% did not explicitly state a deadline. A total of 68.8% specified additional educational components available, and 25% listed past fellows. Importantly, 43.8% explicitly mentioned being funded, 18.8% explicitly mentioned being unfunded, and 37.5% did not mention funding. Publicly accessible fellowships represent a fraction of all available opportunities. Therefore, positions not represented online are filled by word-of-mouth and personal connections. We suggest several actionable goals to work toward. The quick turnover of programs offered shows the opportunity to create one continuously updated database, mimicking Orthogate for orthopedic surgery. Meanwhile, programs can post across multiple platforms, including their own website and social media, as well as advertise directly to medical schools and interest groups. A 2023 study reported socioeconomic biases present in accessing research fellowships, and that lack of monetary support was a main reason for not applying.5 Further work is needed to address funding availability for fellowships, whether it be through industry sponsors, NIH grants, or partnerships with national plastic surgery organizations. Ultimately, when fellowships function as a pipeline for mentorship, clinical experiences, and a better chance of matching, it is critical to examine who has access. DISCLOSURE The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.