Join us in celebrating the significance of education for our specialty, and hear from Prof. Theddeus Prasetyono, Chair of Residents Education & E-Learning Committee!

Celebrate International Day of Education with ISAPS on January 24, 2025.

This month, we recognize ISAPS' role in promoting continued learning for all members—from long-serving surgeons to those in the early stage of their practice to Residents. There is a stage of learning for everyone. 

ISAPS' educational offerings are designed to be inclusive, catering to the diverse needs of our members. From the World Congress, online Video Library, Journal Clubs, Resident Webinars, MedOne, Endorsed Courses and Instagram Live Events, there's something for everyone.

Best Aesthetic Education Worldwide 
For the Next Generation of Plastic Surgeons

Education and e-learning are integral parts of ISAPS. As global leaders in aesthetic plastic surgery, it is imperative that we stay current on the latest technologies and ensure our members are knowledgeable and understand what is driving our specialty. By staying vigilant about the trends and direction of our specialty, we ensure we continue to progress as a Society. This approach must be extended to residents and surgeons at the beginning of their careers, which is why we offer several learning advancement opportunities, including our free membership for residents, webinars, and Expert and Fellowship Programs, among others.

With more than 1,800 Residents among the community of more than 6,000 plastic surgeon members in 117 countries, we are delighted to have Prof. Theddeus Prasetyono, Chair of the Residents Education & E-Learning Committee, to learn more about the committee, its offerings, and what is planned for the upcoming year.

ISAPS: As Chair of the Residents Education & E-Learning Committee, please explain why continuing education is so critical. 

PRASETYONO: It is the nature of being a doctor, not excluding the field of aesthetic plastic surgery, that professionals in medicine should update their knowledge and skills continuously, besides refreshing the understanding of ethics in this disruptive era. Thus, it is true that continuing education is essential to keep our practice at the highest level to accommodate the needs and demands of our patients while guiding the interaction to its best by applying the best available evidence. 

ISAPS: What makes the educational opportunities at ISAPS stand out from other resources in our specialty?

PRASETYONO: ISAPS is not only the biggest Society of aesthetic surgery, a core medical specialty in plastic surgery, but it provides an excellent platform of learning for all plastic surgeons who have an interest in and practice aesthetics, medically and surgically. The quality of good governance that the Society has been showing since its inception makes it grow and develop its service excellence in providing educational programs and learning materials. They come from the contribution made by the best aesthetic plastic surgeons across the world, who are immense in number regarding passion for sharing and teaching. The quality of recorded videos of surgical techniques, courses, symposia, and webinars is of a high standard. It is all accessible to its members on-demand and especially open for Residents in training who join the Society for free. ISAPS is deemed the only Society in the aesthetic plastic surgery world that provides the best opportunity for Residents in training to learn from. ISAPS is a generous Society for future leaders, as it realizes the importance of guidance and supports them in their goals for leadership in aesthetics. More importantly, ISAPS helps Residents and young aesthetic plastic surgeons provide the best services to their patients.

ISAPS: What can we expect in 2025 from the Residents Education & E-Learning Committee, and how can young plastic surgeons get more involved?

PRASETYONO: Under the collaboration with the sub-committee of the Education Council which takes care of Journal Club programs, Residents can enjoy monthly learning sessions throughout the year. The topics are chosen based on the feedback and input given by the participants of the past year's program. As we understand that aesthetic surgery is still not widely available in the form of hands-on practice of all surgery types during residency training, young plastic surgeons will get the advantage of learning the basics to compare, reflect, and elaborate their understanding from the previously existing knowledge and limited experiences. The best speakers who have a passion for sharing and teaching would be the resource experts to consult with through interactive sessions provided. 

ISAPS: What can ISAPS Residents expect from the Program, and why do you recommend they participate?

PRASETYONO: Not only will the program be presented with the foundational concept of every procedure for the Resident to learn, but the technical aspect will also be easy to follow. We encourage the faculties to provide step-by-step explanations clearly by embarking on the best possible teaching materials, namely audiovisual aids. It can be expected that during the limited time available for the online synchronous sessions, the expert speakers would share their knowledge. The program will also be accompanied by reading materials from the best available evidence to support the participants learning the topics on demand as a knowledge booster to get a better chance with knowledge retention. Moreover, Residents can take the opportunity to get to know their peers who will be appearing in the program as skillful partner moderators to the first moderators who are experts in the relevant topics, being the theme of the webinars. In this way, we expect that the Resident Moderator can inspire their peers across the world to perform at their best to be the true leaders in aesthetic plastic surgery and the aesthetic field in general.

ISAPS: At the ISAPS Olympiad World Congress in June, what part of the Residents Program will stand out the most, and why is it a “must-attend” meeting for young surgeons?

PRASETYONO: In addition to the Residents' Symposium, there will be sessions that are mostly about video demonstrations of surgical technicalities, and they will present cross-learning on Western and Oriental or Asian techniques. The topic of regenerative plastic surgery would be one of the most interesting topics among other topics of surgical technique presented by excellent faculties. Some Resident representatives will be performing a high-standard presentation and debate on applying the concept of ethics in the practice of aesthetics, especially when it relates to interaction with the world via social media.

Learn more about the ISAPS Residents Program online today!