Back to 2025 Abstracts
Survey Investigation Of The Career Trajectories Of Craniofacial-Trained Plastic Surgeons
Sasha Kondrasov, MD1, Eric Zeng, BS
2, Braden V. Saba, BA
2, Mario S. Blondin, MD
2, Samuel Kogan, MD, PhD
2, Christopher M. Runyan, MD, PhD
2.
1UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC, USA,
2Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
PURPOSE: Current literature documents a waning interest and pursuit of craniofacial surgery. This survey-based study examines CF-trained surgeons’ motives, practice patterns, and obstacles faced.
METHODS: A RedCap survey consisting of 14 questions with some free-text response opportunities was sent to 310 prior CF fellow graduates within the U.S. and Canada from 2010-2021. Responses were collected until end of May, 2024.
RESULTS: The response rate was 34.5% (107/310). The majority were white males ages 41-50 years. Initially 81.3% of respondents desired CF practice, and 78.5% obtained a CF job after fellowship. At the time of the survey, 71.0% endorsed having a CF practice. The distribution of job changes is demonstrated in Figure 1. Figure 2 lists negative factors associated with initial jobs identified by respondents.
Most frequent cases performed among fellows were pediatric craniosynostosis (91.6%) and cleft surgery (90.7%), decreasing to 55.1% and 64.5%, respectively at the time of survey. Facial aesthetics and facial feminization surgeries increased in frequency at time of survey compared to during fellowship.
CONCLUSION: Recent success in achieving a CF career is much higher than previously reported, and those with a CF practice are less likely to change careers than those in a non-CF practice after fellowship.
Back to 2025 Abstracts