The Role of Resident-Run Clinics for Aesthetic Surgery Training in the Context of Competency-based Plastic Surgery Education

Resident-run clinics (RRCs) have been suggested as a clinical teaching tool to improve resident exposure in aesthetic plastic surgery education. In exchange for reduced cost aesthetic services, RRCs offer trainees the opportunity to assess, plan, execute, and follow surgical procedures in an independent yet supervised manner. With the transition into a competency-based medical education model involving a switch away from a time-based into a milestones-based model, the role of RRCs, within the context of the evolving plastic surgery curriculum has yet to be determined. To that end, the present study summarizes current models of aesthetic surgery training and assesses RRCs as an adjunct to aesthetics education within the framework of competency-based medical education. Explored themes include advantages and issues of RRCs including surgical autonomy, feasibility, exposure, learners’ perception, ethics, and quality improvement. In addition, attention is focused on their role in cognitive competency acquisition and exposure to non-surgical techniques. RRCs are considered an effective educational model that provides an autonomous learning platform with reasonable patient satisfaction and safety profiles.