Training Current and Future Residents in Facial Plastic Surgery

In this issue of JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, Christophel et al assess the value of a novel facial trauma simulation course given to 30 residents from 2 institutions. During this 1-day course, an impactor delivered a measurable force to create facial fractures in fresh frozen cadaver heads, which were then scanned with high-resolution computed tomography. Using each specimen's unique findings, a pair of trainees formulated and presented their theoretical treatment plan, which included airway management, fracture type, surgical approach, and type of fracture repair. Finally, the authors measured the improvement in the trainees' knowledge after the course with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education otolaryngology facial trauma residency milestone scale. This milestone is a national metric measure to monitor the resident's progress of learning; it uses a disease-based format for patient care and medical knowledge during training.