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The Observational Education Program has been established by the American Association of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to allow members to spend 5 days observing selected facial plastic surgeons throughout the country. In a sense, this program institutionalizes the long-standing pattern used by facial plastic surgeons to learn, which involves visiting other surgeons throughout the country and the world. Each facial plastic surgeon practices in a unique environment and has developed individual techniques. Facial plastic surgery techniques are especially difficult to transmit in lecture and book formats, and, over the years, surgeons have found observation the best way to learn these techniques. By creating the Observational Education Program the Association makes available to surgeons without personal contacts the ability to visit select individuals. This program also offers as many as 40 Category 1 continuing medical education credits to be earned for each visit. An aspect of the program that has