Dartmouth-Hitchcock

Program Objectives

Our objectives draw from the curricular objectives listed in the Association of Academic Chairmen of Plastic Surgery document Comprehensive Plastic Surgery Curriculum.

PGY-4 residents will:

• The resident will demonstrate progressive understanding and independence in the evaluation and management of plastic surgery patients.
• The resident will understand, integrate and accurately communicate the key anatomical features of at least 6 major flap donor sites.
• The resident will apply their knowledge of internal and surface anatomy to examine all parts of the body relevant to plastic surgery.
• The resident will successfully complete 10 microsurgical anastomoses in a laboratory setting.
• The resident will complete consultations for complex wound problems from other specialties and make appropriate recommendations for wound care.
• The resident will demonstrate appropriate decision making for work-up and management of trauma cases (extremity and facial) seen in the Emergency room.
• For common plastic surgical problems, the resident will develop operative and non-operative management plans and be able to execute these.
• At the weekly Core Curriculum sessions, the resident will respond to feedback and demonstrate a trend to improving performance throughout the year. Sessions will be graded on a fail, pass, and high pass scale.
• The resident will demonstrate respect and will collaborate with paramedical personnel (hand therapists, operating room nurses, clinic nurses, and secretarial and administrative staff).
• The resident will demonstrate familiarity with digital cameras, image acquisition and use of standard digital imaging databases.
• The resident will demonstrate a trend to improved completion of charting consistent with the level of E&M coding applied by using feedback from audits. The resident will demonstrate an increasing ability to seek resources to help with CPT and ICD-9 coding.

PGY-5 residents will:

• The resident will demonstrate progressive understanding and independence in the evaluation and management of plastic surgery patients.
• The resident will develop a research hypothesis, write up a study proposal, including statistical design, submit to the IRB and initiate a study.
• The resident will attend a week long biostatistics course provided by DHMC
• The resident will initiate and lead a quality improvement project including appropriate measures of success.
• At the weekly Core Curriculum sessions, the resident will respond to feedback and demonstrate a trend to improving performance throughout the year. Sessions will be graded on a fail, pass, and high pass scale.
• The resident will demonstrate skills in dealing with complications including an awareness of risk management.
• The resident will accurately plan and execute major procedures in plastic surgery, including microsurgery.
• The resident will a) accurately apply CPT coding to 80% of surgical cases in which he/she participates and b) complete charting consistent with the level of E&M coding applied, 80% of the time
• The resident will prepare and present a formal presentation to Plastic Surgery Rounds, using computer-generated slides.
• The resident will participate in an oversees mission trip with a collaborating team of clinic and OR personnel

PGY-6 residents will:

• The resident will demonstrate progressive understanding and independence in the evaluation and management of plastic surgery patients.
• The resident will discuss alternative surgical solutions for complex reconstructive cases and state a clear preferred solution with the ability to defend that solution.
• The resident will complete preoperative evaluations of patients in all major areas of plastic surgery, including a thorough discussion of the risks and benefits of surgical procedures and obtaining informed consent.
• At the weekly Core Curriculum sessions, the resident will respond to feedback and demonstrate a trend to improving performance throughout the year. Sessions will be graded on a fail, pass, and high pass scale.
• The resident will demonstrate skills in dealing with complications including an awareness of risk management.
• The resident will accurately plan and execute major procedures in plastic surgery, including microsurgery.
• The resident will demonstrate knowledge of pros and cons of private practice versus academic practice.
• The resident will a) accurately apply CPT coding to 90% of surgical cases in which he/she participates and b) complete charting consistent with the level of E&M coding applied, 90% of the time
• The resident will prepare and submit an abstract to at least one regional and one national plastic surgery forum.
• The resident will demonstrate knowledge of and utilization of the resources of ASPS and other plastic surgery organizations
• The chief resident will perform administrative duties: organize Indications conference as well as other conferences where applicable, the OR case assignments and the call schedule.
• The resident will demonstrate a) familiarity with standardized photographic patient posing, b) ability to acquire quality clinical images using digital cameras and incorporating principles of patient framing, lighting, and background and c) facility in the use of standard digital imaging databases. The resident will be versed in issues (medico-legal and ethical) relating to a) the provision of informed consent as it pertains to medical photography and b) to the clinical use and misuse of digital image manipulation.