Plastic Surgery Residency Transfer Reqs - Clarification

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

PhillipJFry

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Residents entering plastic surgery training must complete 5 progressive years of clinical general surgery residency training, sufficient to qualify for certification by the American Board of Surgery (ABS), or approved alternate subspecialty pathway.

-Refer to the training section of the Booklet of Information for other approved prerequisite training pathways accepted

-The combined or coordinated programs (3 years of general surgery and 3 years of plastic surgery in the same institution) have been eliminated. No new residents may enter a combined/coordinated program effective July 1, 2015.
Can someone clarify what this last bullet point means? Does it mean you CANNOT transfer into a plastics program as a gensurg resident anymore? i.e. PGY2 gsurg resident applying for a PGY3 plastics spot. Thanks.

Can someone clarify what this last bullet point means? Does it mean you CANNOT transfer into a plastics program as a gensurg resident anymore? i.e. PGY2 gsurg resident applying for a PGY3 plastics spot. Thanks.
 
Correct. There is no longer a combined pathway. You either do the integrated 6 or 7 year program or complete gen surg then do a 3 year plastics independent residency.

Exception: if a plastics resident drops out of a program or a program expands and is backfilling there may be an open spot that a gen surg resident can transfer into (not common).
 
I've noticed like one or two a year open up but I don't know how many get filled by a gen surg resident vs other specialties/IMG/internal candidates.
The positions get posted here: ACEPS - Job Board
Programs sometimes use their instagram to announce open positions so following their social media platforms is also helpful.
 
Last edited: