From Wisconsin Health News:

The University of Wisconsin–Madison said Monday it will cover in-state tuition and fees for members of Wisconsin tribes pursuing medical degrees, as part of a five-year pilot program starting next fall. 

The program will cover the costs for students pursuing a medical or law degree who are Wisconsin residents and enrolled members of federally recognized Wisconsin tribes. It’s part of a larger effort where UW will cover the full costs of pursuing undergraduate degrees for members of Wisconsin tribes. 

The Wisconsin Tribal Educational Promise program doesn’t rely on taxpayer funding, and support will come from other institutional resources, like private donations. It’ll award financial support regardless of family income, and cover students already on campus when it starts next year.

Tuition and fees for medical degree students total $42,198 annually. The program will cover four years of medical education. 

University leaders met with the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, a consortium that includes the tribal chairperson or president for each of Wisconsin’s 11 federally recognized American Indian tribes, when developing the program. 

Shannon Holsey, the council's chairwoman and president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, said in a statement they’re not aware of another effort that “goes this far financially to help Native students afford higher education.”

“It is our hope that more Native students will take a second look at UW–Madison and realize that we are not out of reach,” Carla Vigue, UW–Madison director of tribal relations, said in a statement. “And I want Native students to know that, once here, we have support and services that can help them thrive and feel a real sense of belonging."

Across UW–Madison, 649 students identified as American Indian or Alaska Native out of 50,633 enrolled this academic year. Thirty-four are medical students.

The information is self-reported and most do not identify their tribal affiliation. UW–Madison does not yet have a way of knowing the exact number of Wisconsin students who are members of the federally recognized tribes in the state, according to a spokesman for the university's medical school. 

From the American Society of Plastic Surgery

Ariel Frankeny | Freelance Writer | Monday, November 20, 2023

When looking at the future of the world at large, there is no doubt that there is one advancement that is heavy on the minds of men and women everywhere – artificial intelligence (AI). While it may feel like something from an old-school science fiction movie, AI is quickly becoming more common and more prevalent within a variety of industries. There is no doubt that AI will continue to make an impact and expand its reach within the coming years with continual advancements in the specialty of plastic surgery and the introduction of new methods of artificial learning.

Yet, while many of us may think that the inclusion of AI within plastic surgery and related fields is something many years out on the horizon, this amazing technological advancement is already at play in the specialty. It's not yet an advanced form that is handling actual surgeries on its own, but rather the current version of AI is more supportive and works to complement the skill set of plastic surgeons.

To gather more insight on this new and emerging topic of AI, we reached out to an expert in the field, Roy Kim, MD, for his insider analysis and thoughts on how artificial intelligence will continue to shape the future of plastic and cosmetic surgery.

The true beauty of artificial intelligence

As we previously mentioned, artificial intelligence has already made a splash within the cosmetic and plastic surgery fields, although not quite in the way that we'd expect. Thus far, we're seeing a limited implementation of AI with simple, practical applications that serve to make the work of surgeons and patients alike easier. This can be anything from using an AI-powered chatbot to answer questions online or using AI-generated suggestions to create more appealing social media captions and blogs.

"In terms of practical, clinical things, we're not seeing much implementation," said Kim. "We're just starting off with it. For example, I use it for some marketing and patient education. For others, they use it but don't do a good job of hiding it, so they have ridiculous AI-generated captions that were obviously written by an AI bot."

It's important for surgeons to use AI as a supplementary tool rather than as a replacement for their expert voice in patient education, as they truly have the specific knowledge base to get into the nitty-gritty details of what's involved in plastic surgery procedures.

"The AI can get it completely wrong," said Kim. "It doesn't have the background or the underlying context that a surgeon has."

The future of artificial intelligence

Looking forward to the future of AI within the realm of cosmetic surgery, there are so many exciting innovations on the horizon. From opportunities to better educate peers to the ability to customize procedures and routines to the exact needs of the patient, there are many amazing advancements coming within this field.

One such advancement is being worked on by the AI tech company Proximi.

"They have a camera mounted on glasses that records what a surgeon is doing and saves it," said Kim. "If you're operating and stuck, another surgeon can see the procedure and suggest what you should do in the operation. If you're an expert surgeon, you can perform the surgery and save the video. They have the world's largest grouping of surgical videos – the AI can analyze the videos and suggest what you should do next in an operation."

Another advancement involves the world of beauty lasers. Many companies that produce lasers involved in cosmetic procedures are investing in AI to create more personalized procedures for patients.

"They are able to templatize and give you parameters for how to do a procedure based on what the patient wants," said Kim. "They'll soon be able to take a picture of the patient's skin and take their medical history into consideration in order to accomplish what they want."

One application of AI that's continuing to advance at the forefront of the cosmetic surgery industry is the ability to predict risk factors for certain conditions, including cancer.

"You can train AI to identify risk factors. If it looks at one million images, it will be much more efficient than an actual radiologist," said Kim. "In ten years, it may even be more accurate than a radiologist. Even if we don't like to admit it, the AI is learning over time and training constantly and will eventually become more statistically correct than humans."

This application is already in play in the realm of predicting skin cancer, with AI designed to detect signs and symptoms through photos.

"While it's not as accurate as a human dermatologist, it is a really great application for people who are hundreds of miles away from care centers or in third-world countries," said Kim.

Another innovation on the horizon is the introduction of AI-powered robotics. While this is an advancement that is currently far off in the future, Kim is very excited about the potential.

"For plastic surgery, we're not quite there just yet, but I can definitely see AI running a robot in the future," said Kim. "I think that while we can create a robot that's delicate enough to handle injections or simple procedures today, it doesn't have the knowledge base to perform these actions properly yet."

Final thoughts on the future of artificial intelligence

There is no doubt that AI will continue to play a key role in the field of cosmetic surgery in the coming years. Yet, it's important to step back and take this technology's suggestions and assessments with skepticism.

"There are two things that are hardcore principles in plastic surgery – patient safety and anatomy," said Kim. "The anatomy is always the same, but every patient is different. Beauty is individual and every person is different but cosmetic trends tend to change."

In other words, even an objective technology like AI can make mistakes in suggesting the best course of action for a patient. Since it works to analyze existing information that is readily available, it can skew towards trends and miss out on the factor of individuality that plays an integral part in elective plastic surgery.

Doctor Day 2023 was a success with over 300 registered physicians, residents, and medical students!

The group began their day at the beautiful Monona Terrace for a light breakfast and presentations on First Attendee Orientation, Communications/Media Training 101, Physician Wellness, and  a Legal Update. AMA President, Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, then joined as the keynote presenter. Following his presentation was a State Agency Roundtable and a Physicians Priority Issues Briefing. The group had a brief lunch and then headed down the street to the Capitol where physicians met with their legislators to discuss Doctor Day's priority issues: APRN Legislation and Extended Medicaid Coverage for New Moms. 

The group reconvened at Madison's for some appetizers and drinks and to discuss how their visits went. Everyone was in good spirits and already looking forward to the next Wisconsin Doctor Day!

WSPS is a proud supporter of Wisconsin Doctor Day, read their position paper here. 

WSPS signed onto a bill that increases critical access to essential breast cancer screenings. 

Health insurers in Wisconsin are now required to provide one annual mammographic screening to women over 50, and two screenings to women aged 45-49 who meet certain criteria, at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. Unfortunately, the supplemental or diagnostic breast screenings across the country can range from $234 to over $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs, which imposes a major financial barrier to those who need it.

The legislation introduced today removes the cost barrier by requiring health insurance policies to cover diagnostic or supplemental breast screenings. Women with dense breast tissue may be 4-6 times more likely to get breast cancer, making the treatment critical.

Read the proposed bill and the bill introduction release. 

The Wisconsin Society of Plastic Surgeons held their second in-person conference since 2019 and had amazing attendance! The conference featured speakers from all over the world who spoke on Abdominoplasty, Tips to Developing Your Aesthetic and Reconstructive Practice, A Cirque Du Soleil Moonshot: Balancing a 100% Aesthetic Result with 0% Complication Rate!, and more. WSPS thanks our speakers: Suhail Kanchwala, MD; Lorne Rosenfield, MD, FACS; and Cemal Senyuva, MD, for sharing their expertise and giving fantastic talks to our attendees. Continue to watch your email for 2024 conference plans!

Wisconsin’s Doctor Day will take place on June 15, 2023. WI Doctor Day brings together physicians from every specialty and practice environment to meet with their legislators and advocate on health care issues affecting healthcare. The multi-specialty nature of Doctor Day makes it among the most unique advocacy events for physicians in the country.

Physicians and medical students at all stages of their careers will once again join together in Madison to take part in policy breakout sessions, hear keynote presentations and participate in a briefing on the day's priority issues. Attendees will then participate in group visits with legislators and legislative staff at the Wisconsin State Capitol. The day will conclude with a Doctor Day reception where you’ll have the chance to connect socially with both friends and peers. 

​Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or brand new to the legislative process, attending Doctor Day will provide you advocacy tools and skills to make your voice heard. Continue to watch your email for updates on registration!

Make plans to attend the WSPS 2023 Annual Conference!

The conference will again be held at the Brookfield Conference Center in Brookfield, Wisconsin from March 2-3, 2023. The event will feature presenters who will share updates in the plastic surgery field and will include interesting lectures, networking, and more! 

Register today to confirm your spot!

Following our Annual Meeting this past weekend, the WSPS is excited to welcome Dr. Harry Nayar from Aurora Health in Milwaukee, WI to the Board as a Member At Large. In addition to welcoming Dr. Harry Nayar to the Board, WSPS would like to congratulate several officials who were awarded new positions. Dr. Ahmed M. Afifi was elected as President, Dr. Mark Bosbous was elected as President Elect, Dr. Jeffery Larson was elected as Treasurer, and Dr. Erin Doren as Secretary. Dr. Richard Schaefer is now the Immediate Past President. WSPS thanks Dr. Schaefer immensely for serving his term as President and leading the Society through the unknowns that COVID brought us. 

The WSPS held their Annual Conference last weekend on March 18 at the Brookfield Conference Center in Brookfield, WI. Dr. Schaefer planned an excellent agenda that was packed with experts located throughout the United States. Dr. Anu Antony was a fantastic keynote speaker who shared her expertise on Pre-Pectoral Reconstruction, Hot Topics in Cosmetic Breast Surgery, and Aesthetic Refinements. Drs. Ahmed M. Afifi, Erin Doren, David Janssen, and Mark Bosbous were also able to join us and share their knowledge on Raising the Bar in Aesthetic Breast Surgery, Autologous Reconstruction, Brascore, and Dual Pane Reconstruction, respectively. A great lineup of speakers made the conference a success. Thank you to all of our presenters, attendees and exhibitors who were able to join us- finally in person! 

The State of Wisconsin’s Medical Examining Board (MEB) at its most recent monthly meeting advanced a proposed administrative rule that will extend for another biennium the requirement that most physicians obtain two credits of continuing education related to opioid prescribing. The requirement applies to physicians who hold a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number, with the two credits being part of the 30 credits required each biennium. Courses must be approved by the MEB in order to satisfy the subject matter requirement.

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) spoke in favor of the rule at the MEB public hearing March 17, noting how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated opioid abuse across the county. The Society also expressed appreciation that the rule widens the scope of qualifying coursework beyond opioid prescribing to include “other controlled substances.” This will allow physicians who hold a DEA number but may not prescribe opioids to access coursework more relevant to their practice.

The MEB also began to discuss whether to add a provision to the “unprofessional conduct” section of the MEB’s administrative code (MED 10) that could require physicians to offer patients a chaperone for certain sensitive physical exams. The idea comes from a January 2020 ACOG Community Opinion paper recommending that a chaperone be present for all breast, genital and rectal examinations. While the MEB discussed the issue only generally during its meeting March 17, it will review potential language at its April meeting.

Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.