PRS vs. integrated ?

[AbRKnight]

I know most of the qustions on the board aren't so basic but what is the difference between PRS and Integrated Plastics?

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[BlondeDocteur]

PRS is shorthand for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. That applies to the field, no matter how/at what level you entered it.

Integrated residencies are ones you're eligible for straight out of medical school. In some places you're truly integrated (a plastics resident from Day 1); in others the training is Combined, meaning you're a normal general surgery resident for 3 years and a plastics resident for the last 3 (but you matched into the spot in medical school).

These are opposed to independent residencies, which are the 'fellowships' available solely to those who have completed some general surgery training. It used to the be the case that you could apply to an independent residency after only three years of surgery training, but the competitiveness of the field has made that practically impossible now. Now, almost everyone has finished all 5 years of residency before starting an independent PRS spot. However, since it's not *required* that the candidate have completed an entire general surgery residency (versus, say, pediatric surgery or cardiothoracic, where it is), plastics is still called a "residency" rather than a "fellowship."

I know it's confusing from the outside. Hope that helps.

 

[AbRKnight]

PRS is shorthand for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. That applies to the field, no matter how/at what level you entered it.

Integrated residencies are ones you're eligible for straight out of medical school. In some places you're truly integrated (a plastics resident from Day 1); in others the training is Combined, meaning you're a normal general surgery resident for 3 years and a plastics resident for the last 3 (but you matched into the spot in medical school).

These are opposed to independent residencies, which are the 'fellowships' available solely to those who have completed some general surgery training. It used to the be the case that you could apply to an independent residency after only three years of surgery training, but the competitiveness of the field has made that practically impossible now. Now, almost everyone has finished all 5 years of residency before starting an independent PRS spot. However, since it's not *required* that the candidate have completed an entire general surgery residency (versus, say, pediatric surgery or cardiothoracic, where it is), plastics is still called a "residency" rather than a "fellowship."

I know it's confusing from the outside. Hope that helps.

No, that makes perfect sense. Thank you

 

[ArmyPRSdoc]

It used to the be the case that you could apply to an independent residency after only three years of surgery training, but the competitiveness of the field has made that practically impossible now. Now, almost everyone has finished all 5 years of residency before starting an independent PRS spot. However, since it's not *required* that the candidate have completed an entire general surgery residency (versus, say, pediatric surgery or cardiothoracic, where it is), plastics is still called a "residency" rather than a "fellowship."

I know it's confusing from the outside. Hope that helps.

Also, as an additional barrier, you can only "jump ship" from a general surgery residency to a plastics residency in that same institution. I think this rule is new within the last two years.