Plastic surgery training in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2025: Results of the National Training Survey.

[INTRODUCTION] Plastic surgery training in the UK and Ireland is continuously evolving in response to changing healthcare priorities and workforce demands. The UK and Ireland Plastic Surgery Trainees Association conducted a survey among plastic surgery trainees holding national training numbers to elucidate current attitudes towards training.

[METHODS] A cross-sectional survey of all plastic surgery trainees was developed using a web-based application and distributed via email newsletters, social media and messaging apps.

[RESULTS] A total of 142 trainees completed the survey, representing all training years and regions. The most popular career aspirations were hand surgery (31%), breast surgery (20%) and head and neck surgery (9%). A few trainees reported receiving 2 h of local teaching per week (15%) or dedicated time for audit, research or personal study (25%). The majority (81.6%) would recommend their training region to others. The median number of hours worked per week was 56 (48 paid and 8 unpaid). More trainees rated the quality of their aesthetic training negatively than positively (42% vs 32%). Those with dedicated aesthetic rotations were significantly more likely to rate their training positively (p <0.0001). Key factors affecting training were service provision (30%), operative exposure (18%) and consultant willingness to teach (12%). Trainees unanimously supported the opportunity to undertake fellowships during ST8 (96%) and firm-based structures (96%).

[CONCLUSIONS] Overall, plastic surgery trainees reported high levels of training satisfaction. Recommendations include expanding and standardising access to aesthetic rotations and fellowships during training across the training regions.