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Commentary on: Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship Selection Criteria A National Fellowship Director Survey

While other plastic surgery fellowship programs are directed through a centralized application process with a match like that of a residency program, aesthetic surgery fellowship programs traditionally offered positions on a rolling basis to individuals that they felt were the “right fit” for their program. This will change as of 2018 for all American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) endorsed programs where a match process will be used for aesthetic fellowships commencing in 2019. The authors of “Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship Selection Criteria: A National Fellowship Director Survey” present an important topic which helps to define those characteristics fellowship directors seek in applicants applying for aesthetic surgery fellowships.1 The authors again demonstrate that the weight of objective measures, such as medical school test scores, is surpassed by the importance of strong interpersonal skills when applying to advanced fellowship training.2,3 There are a few points which should be highlighted in this article. The top influential factors sought after in applicants are: letters of recommendation from a wellestablished plastic surgeon, interpersonal skills, overall interview performance, evidence of professionalism and ethics, and letters of recommendation from aesthetic surgeons. These factors all stress the importance of working well with others on a personal level. Since many aesthetic surgeons are in private practice, establishing rapport and trust with patients is paramount. Patients want a plastic surgeon they can relate to and trust. Although academic accomplishments are an important addition to any CV, very few patients choose their surgeon based purely on academic accolades. The least important factors are those principally of academic fortitude, including: Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AOA) membership, postgraduate degrees, United States Medial Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK)/Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) Level 2 Cognitive Evaluation (CE) and USMLE/COMLEX Step 3 score, and completion of a research fellowship. The authors do not expand upon why these factors scored so low. It seems logical that at the time of applying for additional fellowship training, most plastic surgery residents have either excelled or at least met sufficient academic requirements where the focus can be shifted toward other important factors such as technical and interpersonal skills. There is an ongoing need for specialized training in aesthetic surgery. The minimum procedure requirements put forth by the American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) while both authors (D.A.S. and J.R.) were in-training were for 1000 reconstructive procedures