Dr. Lamvy Le, is one of the University of Minnesota Plastic Surgery residents who had the opportunity to join Surgicorps on two trips to Vietnam. Lamvy and her team just got an article published ‘The Impact of Participating in Surgical Trips to Low Income, Low Resource Countries on Professional Development of Plastic Surgery Trainees’, FACE 5(2): 371-379, 2024. In her article all 35 residents who had graduated from the University program prior to 2020 were surveyed. All but one had gone on surgical missions during their residency training. 47% that had exposure during their residency went on to work on surgical trips after completing their training. One surgeon had completed 40 surgical missions following his training. Most graduates found that this experience made them more adaptable in the operating room, gave them a better understanding of the challenges of poverty, and helped them provide better care of marginalized patients. All of those who participated felt these trips were an invaluable experience during their training.
The residents from the University of Minnesota are very grateful for the opportunity Surgicorps has offered them.
