Top Plastics Departments

[MedBigRed]

Hi Everyone --

I am a 3rd year GS resident and recently decided to go into Plastic Surgery ... I will be applying after 5 years of residency and a year or 2 of research so I have some time to figure things out and was hoping people who are "in the know" could throw out their ideas of the top 10-15 plastics departments in the country.

Any input would be greatly appreciated ... thanks.

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[droliver]

The best/more prestigious of the programs with pure traditional fellowships to me would include Vanderbilt, Emory, Duke, & UAB. A number of other top programs have some traditional spots alongside integrated programs, but the # varies year to year - Harvard/MGH, NYU, UCSF, UCLA, UT-Southwestern. With the fairly high washout rate in the integrated programs there are always a # of programs that put in spots for the SFMatch (you are not technically allowed to shuffle people into the integrated tracts if someone quits midway, although I have heard of it done) to replace them, but this group varies year to year.

 

[MedBigRed]

Thanks for the info.

 

[maxheadroom]

Not sure that I'd include Emory in the top, anymore. Several important PRS guys have said to me that Emory's glory days are long gone. Twenty years ago they were pumping out a ton of guys who are now academic chairmen. Now, I'm not so sure.

I don't think the Harvard program is all that great, especially since Andy Lee left. I think they're totally integrated, now.

Agree about NYU, UCLA, UCSF, and UTSW. While NYU is integrated, I don't know if they take any traditional or not. It's been a great program, but I don't think it's quite as strong as it once was. McCarthy's name can't buy them recognition forever . . .

I'd add Indiana and Cleveland Clinic to the list of strong traditional PRS programs.

I don't know the washout rate of integrated programs, but I doubt that it's much higher than that of categorical G-Surg . . .

 

[droliver]

Emory experienced the same faculty drain that just about every program in the country has done due to the seismic shift towards aesthetic surgery as the money died for insured reconstructive surgery. It is unlikely that the incredible collection of staff (Vasconez, Bostwick, Hester, McGraw, Nahai, etc...)they had in the 1970-1980's will ever be replicated but they still have resources in excess of most other programs. In addition Atlanta is one of the focused collections of celebrity Plastic Surgeons on the talking head circuit (along with Manhattan, Dallas, South Florida, & LA) and they get to work with many of them.

NYU is a similar story. Tremendous resources & lots of all-star clinical faculty that will always make it a strong program

 

[bobbyseal]

What about the worst plastic residencies?

Frankly, if I'm lucky enough to have the grades, USMLE scores, recommendations, AOA, an uncle who's the residency director, and the ability to sculpt a replica of David, it won't matter where I apply.

What about us kids that aren't God's gift to plastic surgery? Where might we be able to end up, besides a family medicine residency in Guam?