The Impact of COVID-19 on Plastic Surgery Training in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia—A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Surgical trainees worldwide have been thrust into a period of uncertainty, with respect to the implications COVID-19 pandemic will have on their roles, training, and future career prospects. It is currently unclear how plastic surgery trainees are being affected by COVID-19. This study examined the experience of plastic surgery trainees in Canada, the UK, and Australia to determine trainee roles during the early COVID-19 emergency response and how training changed during this time. Methods A cross-sectional survey-based study was designed for plastic surgery trainees in the UK, Canada and Australia. In total, 110 trainees responded to the survey. Statistical tests were conducted to determine differences in responses, based on year of training and country of residence. Results In total, 9.7% (10/103) of respondents reported being deployed to cover another service. There was a significant difference between redeployment based on country ( p = 0.001). Within the UK group, 28.9% of respondents were redeployed. For trainees not deployed, 95.5% (85/89) reported that there has been a reduction in operative volume. Ninety-seven (94.1%) respondents reported that there were ongoing teaching activities offered by their program. The majority of trainees (66.4%) were concerned about their training. There was a significant difference between overall concern and country ( p < 0.05). Conclusion In these unprecedented times, training programs in plastic surgery should be aware of the major impact that COVID-19 has had on trainees and will have on their training. The majority of plastic surgery trainees have experienced a reduction in surgical exposure but have maintained some form of regular teaching.