Application Discrepancies in the 2023-2024 Integrated Plastic Surgery Match.

Background: The Plastic Surgery Common Application (PSCA) was introduced in the 2020-2021 integrated plastic surgery match cycle. We investigated the accuracy of medical student-reported quantitative metrics in the PSCA.

Methods: Quantifiable data from 1 year of PSCA applications were compared between matched and unmatched students.

Food and Housing Insecurity, COVID-19 Pandemic Effects on Health-Related Activities, and Care Plans for Children with Obesity.

Objective: To understand the association between food insecurity (FI) and housing insecurity (HI) risk, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health-related activities among children with overweight or obesity, and caregivers' and clinicians' challenges and priorities related to pediatric weight management.

Methods: We conducted surveys with caregivers of children with overweight and obesity and pediatric clinicians at two academic medical centers in the Greater Boston area. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine associations between FI and HI risk and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health-related activities and descriptive statistics to summarize caregivers' and clinicians' challenges and priorities related to pediatric weight management.

Identifying System-Level Strategies to Engage in HPV Prevention Across Oral Health and Primary Care Settings.

Introduction: HPV vaccination prevents most HPV-related cancers, yet uptake remains low. HPV is linked to an estimated 70% of oropharyngeal cancers (OPCs) in the US and outnumber cases of HPV-related cervical cancers. Not all OPCs can be detected through routine screening, making HPV vaccination a more effective primary prevention strategy.

Intraoperative Complications as Predictors of Flap Failure in Autologous Breast Reconstruction.

Background:  Intraoperative microvascular complications in autologous breast reconstruction significantly increase the risk of postoperative complications. No study has identified which specific intraoperative complications contribute to partial or total flap loss.

Methods:  A retrospective chart review of microsurgical breast reconstructions by five surgeons between 2009 and 2020 analyzed operative variables and patient outcomes, with complications determined from the operative report.

The Effect of Numeric Versus Pass/Fail USMLE Step 1 Scores in the Integrated Plastic Surgery 2023-2024 Match Cycle: A Single Institution Study.

Objective: The USMLE Step 1 exam, an important metric in the integrated plastic surgery match, transitioned to pass/fail scoring in January 2022. No previous studies have investigated the impact of this new scoring system on the process of ranking applicants in the integrated plastic surgery match.

Design: 330 Plastic Surgery Common Applications (PSCAs) were submitted to a single academic center in the 2023-2024 match cycle.