burn surgery

[applicant2002]

I have a friend who wants to eventually specialize in burn surgery. She has been thinking that she would have to first go into general surgery then specialize in reconstructive surgery then go into burn surgery.

However, she was talking to another sutdent she happened to cross on a train and this student mentioned something about first going into general surgery and then after 4 years doing a burn fellowship. Apparently, this is a little published about option.

I promised my friend that I would help her look into it. We both tried doing various searches, but we both have not come upon any enlightening information.

Do any of you know what this is all about?
Are there any good websites I should tell my friend to check out?

Thanks for all your help.

Have a wonderful day!


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[maxheadroom]

Two major routes to burn surgery.

1. The better route: General surgery residency (all of it) + fellowship in critical care +/- trauma + fellowship in burns.

2. The other way: Residency in Plastics (either integrated or independent). Maybe a fellowship in burns.

I like the general surgery-run burn unit more because they're more up to date on critical care medicine. I've worked in both settings and felt that the general surgery/burns attending gave much better care because he ran everything on his patients. He ran the vent, the fluids, the reconstruction (he'd call PRS for assistance on hands and face, sometimes), and all the ICU care. The plastics-run burn units that I've seen seem to farm lots of the work out. It seems to work OK, but there are a few studies out there (can't reference off the top of my head) giving good evidence that patients have better outcomes with a single intensivist running their care instead of multiple specialists running different parts of their care.

 

[droliver]

Originally posted by applicant2002
However, she was talking to another sutdent she happened to cross on a train and this student mentioned something about first going into general surgery and then after 4 years doing a burn fellowship. Apparently, this is a little published about option.

You can certainly do one of the various burn fellowships without having finished a residency program, however you would not be able to sit for your boards in surgery with that 4+1 model you describe & this could lead to some credentialing issues.

Contemporary Plastic Surgery involvement in burns has become more & more minimalized due to economic issues. There still are a handful of PRS run units at some of the training programs that do everything, but there are really only a handful of people interested in it. Most programs roles are now limited to secondary reconstruction procedures, the only thing I do now are face & hand burns which is pretty typical I think.

The whole area has become pretty marginalized, especially outside of teaching hospitals where you have worker bees doing all the grunt work for you.