Plastic Surgery Teaching Conference

Each Thursday at 3 p.m. the Plastic Surgery Teaching Conference commences in the Plastic Surgery Conference room where cases are reviewed by the faculty and residents as a whole, following which a “case of the week” is presented by an assigned resident. This is followed by a formal Grand Rounds (lecture) every Thursday given by an attending, clinical faculty, visiting professor, or an attending from another service in the medical school. There are two to three visiting professor plastic surgery lectures and a hand surgery visiting professor presentation given annually.

Photo Conference

Photo Conference is a monthly conference where the resident submits photographs of all cases performed the preceding week. Cases are selected, reviewed, and discussed in Socratic teaching style amongst the full-time and community faculty during resident conference.

Grand Rounds

Grand Round Lectures include guest lecturers and visiting professors whom are invited to share their expertise and experiences. Panel discussions are also given to enable an engaging and dynamic discussion of topics.

Hand Conference

The Hand Conference is held weekly every Monday morning from 6:30–8:00 a.m.. This conference reviews upcoming hand cases in detail, as well as core topics in hand surgery, in both a didactic and dynamic format.

The Hand and Microsurgery Journal Club

The Hand and Microsurgery Journal Club meets every other month. Selected articles from peer-reviewed journals on microsurgery are reviewed with microsurgery faculty. These include “classic” articles, as well as new innovative techniques and evidence-based outcome data.

The North Texas Hand Surgery Journal Club

The North Texas Hand Surgery Journal Club is comprised of plastic surgery and orthopedic hand surgeons from the community as well as UT Southwestern. Meetings are held every other month to discuss the latest advances and techniques in hand and upper extremity surgery.

Plastic Surgery Journal Club meets monthly where selected articles from peer-reviewed journals on plastic surgery are reviewed with faculty. These include “classic” articles, as well as new innovative techniques and evidence-based outcomes data.

Parkland Pre-op Conference

The Parkland Pre-op Conference meets every Monday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. to review the upcoming week’s cases in detail. This conference helps greatly in the logistical planning/scheduling/posting of cases, and also increases preparation for all cases. The conference is run by Dr. Janis, Chief of Plastic Surgery at Parkland, and attended by all members of the Parkland team including faculty, fellows, residents, physician assistants, case management and students.

Practice-Based Oral Learning Sessions

These didactic curriculum modules review core topics in plastic surgery on a two-year rotating cycle in an “oral board” format. Case examples are presented by the faculty to the residents and appropriate questions asked in the style of a typical oral board experience. The purpose is to familiarize the residents with Oral Exam format and experience and to provide a venue for constructive discussion on a broad variety of plastic surgery topics.

Practice-Based Written Learning Sessions

These didactic curriculum modules review monthly core topics in plastic surgery on a two-year cycle, and is based on Selected Readings in Plastic Surgery, published by our Department.

Objective testing is conducted with a multiple choice exam under timed conditions, re-approximating the Plastic Surgery Written Exam experience. These exams are then reviewed together to maximize the learning experience.

Annual Resident Anatomy/Clinical Correlation Course

An annual Resident Anatomy/Clinical Correlation seven-week course is conducted with tutorial attending participation. Fresh cadaver dissections of major soft-tissue flaps, hard-tissue osteotomies of the head and neck, upper extremity, trunk and lower extremity procedures are demonstrated in this unique laboratory experience.

Mini-Preparation Course for the Plastic Surgery In-service Exam

This 8-week course is conducted every January and February to help residents review for the Plastic Surgery In-Service Exam, which is given in the beginning of March. This course is taught by four faculty members who review each section over a two week time period (Aesthetic/Breast, Craniofacial, Hand/Upper Extremity, and Comprehensive). Questions are also reviewed as well as strategies in order to help optimize test performance.

The Research Conference meets every other month and has incorporated a didactic curriculum of topics pertinent and germane to both basic science and clinical research. Guest speakers are invited to lecture on specific topics within their area of expertise, and all ongoing resident research projects are reviewed.

There are multiple symposia put on by our Department each year with complementary registration for our residents. These include:

•         Dallas Rhinoplasty Symposium

•         Dallas Cosmetic Surgery Symposium

•         UT Southwestern Hand Fracture Management Symposium

•         UT Southwestern Flap Reconstruction Symposium

•         UT Southwestern Chest Wall Reconstruction Symposium

•         UT Southwestern Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Symposium.

These courses have incorporated didactic lectures with hands-on practical labs, and have included invited guest faculty to help conduct the course.

Integrated Residency Lecture Series

The integrated lectureship series is held on a two year rotating basis. These lectures have been formulated to enrich the integrated resident experience at the PGY 1 year with relevant topics for this level of resident. This series furnishes our integrated residents with unique perspectives providing information that is often taught during the upcoming years in Plastic Surgery training.