Changes in Academic Plastic Surgery Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for surgical teaching programs, as operating rooms closed and resources were redirected for patient care. As a result, both educational challenges and opportunities emerged. The objective of this study was to assess the changes used by plastic surgery programs as a result of the pandemic. Methods A 34-question American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons-approved survey was distributed on April 29, 2020, to attendings in academic plastic surgery programs in the United States. Variables were controlled whenever multiple attending responses were submitted from the same program. Results A total of 113 attendings, including 30 (27.8%) program directors, responded to the survey. Most respondents were located in the northeast (41.4%). The average percentage of elective case volume was 23% of pre-COVID states. Those who reported a decrease in emergent surgical case volume (55.2%) estimated it to be at an average of 45% of the normal. Almost all the respondents (95.6%) agreed that they were working fewer hours than usual, and 40.9% of those reported a decrease of more than 20 hours per week of work. Most attendings (82.1%) also reported a decrease in their monthly salary. The percentage projected current salary compared with normal was 85%. Conclusions Our survey data suggest that academic plastic surgery programs have had impactful changes to their operative and educational schedules, teaching, revenue, and patient care. The data described in this study could be used as a baseline for future pandemics affecting plastic surgery programs to help strategize their operational and educational structures.