What kind of research/activities that would make you more competitive? I am a 1st year who is doing summer research in non-surgical area because I am also interested in this field. Thank you for any inputs 
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Plastic Surgery Residency Admission
- Thread starter FattySlug
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Step 1 >250
Research and pubs in plastics
Honors across the board 3rd year
AOA
FYI, most of your competition will have all of these.
Research and pubs in plastics
Honors across the board 3rd year
AOA
FYI, most of your competition will have all of these.
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What kind of research/activities that would make you more competitive? I am a 1st year who is doing summer research in non-surgical area because I am also interested in this field. Thank you for any inputs
I don't get the bolded. If you're interested in plastics, why are you doing summer research in a non-surgical area?
Agree with VT if you want a very good shot at matching. Nothing is guaranteed, and theoretically you could get in with worse stats than that, but you will be a rarity.
Because it is a very good opportunity that gives me a very good shot at publication, though not guaranteed. I couldn't find any surgical research that is as good in terms of timing/funding etc. Now that I think about it maybe I should have tried much harder.
Yeah I know that nothing is guaranteed. Just want to know what other people do that would give them a better shot.
Seeing that the summer has only 8-10 weeks of research, when do you guys do research beyond the summer? 3rd year?
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Research with someone with pull at a plastics program that you can see yourself at >>> anything else. A letter and support from a well regarded plastic surgeon is more important than pretty much anything else, including step 1, clinical scores, etc.
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Is your sig your 4th year schedule?? That's insane. Why are you doing ENT AND medicine sub-I's?
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Yeah I've heard this too. It basically needs to be a clean sweep to match in PRS. I feel like I did everything I could up to this point (rising II, 5 pubs, 3 in plastics), but if I don't get a 250 in 11 months, that all really doesn't matter. Then if I get a 250 but no letter from a famous surgeon, then I'm SOL haha. Or at least that's what it sounds like.
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Some schools require a sub-I in one of the core specialties
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Bingo. I'm required to do either a SubI in medicine or peds at my home institution. I'm hanging out at the VA-spa for a month.
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Wait, you have five pubs before second year? Did you get most before med school? I hear it takes roughly 12-18 months to get 1 first author pub.
I'm not interested in plastics by the way, I'm just curious about the research.
I am also wondering how that was possible. Maybe he doesn't sleep lol.
Anyway, is it possible to do research in plastics as you do your general surgery residency? I don't see how one can have time to do research otherwise except a few excellent individuals.
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It might take a long time to get a pub if youre starting from scratch, jumping through IRB hoops and stuff.
If there's an existing project that you just take over, it takes a lot less time. I was fortunate enough to take over a project that my M4 mentor had already laid the groundwork for, and that really sped things up.
If there's an existing project that you just take over, it takes a lot less time. I was fortunate enough to take over a project that my M4 mentor had already laid the groundwork for, and that really sped things up.
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At my hospital, there were multiple residents who took 1-2 years off to go to the lab (usually coincided with giving birth to kids, etc.) to do research. One woman took 2 years off for plastics (had a kid), then decided she didn't want to do plastics after all.
Are they general surgery residents? I am interested in plastics too but don't think I can have that many publications to be competitive before graduating not to mention there is no guarantee for high Step 1 so I think maybe I will do general surgery then apply for independent plastic fellowship. If I go that route, however, would there be time for research during residency or I absolutely have to take time off for research like you mention?
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yes they were surgery residents. I don't know if there is time to do research during surgery years. I believe these people were doing lab years rather than clinical research during their years off.
Shrug, my school requires a surgical sub-I and a medicine sub-I.
If you're at a major academic center (or maybe even at community programs) you have the option of taking 2 years to do research of your desire. Most people looking to go into Pediatric Surgery/Surgical Oncology/Plastics after General Surgery almost have to do research years these days, it's almost an unwritten requirement. No so sure about Plastics but definitely for Pedi Surg and Surg Onc
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