The West Coast Plastic Surgery Boot Camp is a regional training workshop hosted jointly by regional groups like the California Society of Plastic Surgeons (CSPS) and the Mountain West Society of Plastic Surgeons (MWSPS). It provides first-year plastic surgery residents (interns) with hands-on labs and didactic sessions covering core clinical concepts.

Program Overview

• Target Audience: First-year plastic surgery residents (integrated and independent tracks).

• Core Purpose: To ease the transition into residency by offering standardized, high-yield training in a low-risk, collaborative environment.

• Typical Locations: Often hosted at specialized medical simulation spaces like the UCSD Center for the Future of Surgery.

Key Training Components

• Hands-on Skills Labs: Z-plasty and rhomboid flaps, tendon repairs, facial fracture plating, splinting, and casting.

• Surgical Techniques: Microsurgery training models, cleft lip/palate markings, and craniofacial frameworks.

• Didactic Lectures: Expert-led reviews on hand examination maneuvers, regional nerve blocks, wound healing, and aesthetic principles.