ePoster
Talk Description
Institution: Princess Alexandra Hospital - Queensland, Australia
Purpose:
Although 29.7% of the Australian population live in regional or rural areas only 9.9% of Specialist Plastic Surgeons work in these locations. It is evident there is a large discrepancy between the metropolitan and regional/rural Plastic Surgical Workforce.
An ASPS Plastic Surgery Workforce Survey in 2022 with 174 respondents provided opinions on the current rural workforce. 69% of responses agreed that Plastic Surgery Trainees should undertake a mandatory module in a regional setting. This survey aimed to gauge Plastic Surgery Trainees views on the rural work force.
Methodology:
Plastic Surgery Trainees were invited to respond to a questionnaire surrounding the rural surgery workforce. Baseline demographics were requested and the primary question to be answered was whether Plastic Surgery Trainees should have a compulsory regional module. Secondary questions regarding motivation towards regional work in the future were included.
Results:
Responses to the questionnaire were requested at the annual trainee conference as well as through State based messaging services. Key questions responded to included whether a Regional Module during training should be mandatory, whether trainees were willing to undertake a 6-month term in a regional centre and if trainees were willing to undertake a week of rural outreach yearly during training.
Conclusion:
This survey was a preliminary review into Plastic Surgery Trainees’ opinions on the rural surgical workforce. It will hopefully be a useful adjunct in attempts to improve services provided to our rural patients.
Speakers
Contributors
Authors
Dr Fraser Donaldson -
