Knowledge and Perception of Plastic Surgery Among Medical Students in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: The future career choices of medical students are influenced by the medical school curriculum and exposure they receive in the schools. A thorough understanding of the students’ knowledge and perception about a specialty like plastic surgery is essential for assessing the scope and career choices. This study evaluates the medical students’ knowledge and perception of plastic surgery in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional online survey study that was conducted using a pre-tested questionnaire which was distributed between senior medical students. The questionnaire recorded participants’ sociodemographic details, their knowledge about the specialty of plastic surgery, and their perception of the specialty. The data collected were subjected to Statistical analysis using SPSS Ver.23 and a p-value of < 0.05 was deemed significant. Results: The majority of the students (78.3%) reported poor knowledge regarding plastic surgery while 11% of the respondents had previously taken a clinical rotation in plastic surgery department. Female medical students had comparatively demonstrated better knowledge than male students regarding the specialty (p<0.034). It was reported by 43.2% of students that plastic surgery is the same as other specialties, whereas 53.2% believed that this specialty is an essential one. Only 34.1% of the students were interested in pursuing plastic surgery as a specialty after graduation. Conclusion: The study finding highlights that the knowledge about plastic surgery is not satisfactory among medical students. There is a need to improve knowledge about this specialty. The medical curriculum should fill the voids and give more considerations for this specialty when training undergraduate medical students, which would positively influence their career choices.