Division of Plastic Surgery

The University of Massachusetts Medical School Training Program in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  

The six-year integrated program trains residents in the full spectrum of plastic surgery and provides them with the tools to both collaborate with other surgical subspecialists and pursue further fellowship training.  The initial three years involve training in plastic surgery, general surgery and surgical subspecialties aimed at providing a broad, interdisciplinary surgical exposure.  This involves education in plastic surgery, as well as the related fields of anesthesiology, burn management, cardiac surgery, critical care medicine, dermatology, emergency medicine, general surgery, gynecologic oncology, neurosurgery, oculoplastic surgery, oncologic surgery, otolaryngology, orthopedic surgery, pediatric surgery, thoracic surgery, transplant surgery, trauma management, urology and vascular surgery.  This exposure lays the foundation for broad surgical knowledge before embarking on the latter three years of concentrated plastic surgery training, which include one year of chief resident responsibility.  In these years, residents complete rotations in acute plastic surgery, burn/wound, head and neck/craniofacial and aesthetic surgery.  During the chief resident year, residents also complete hand surgery rotations, as well as additional rotations in aesthetic surgery and head and neck/craniofacial.  The clinical experience is complemented by a comprehensive didactic program.

Acceptance into the residency program requires the following:

1) Licensing in the state of Massachusetts requires passage of both USMLE Part I and USMLE Part II CK and II CS.     
2) U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required (we only accept J-1 visas sponsored by the ECFMG).
3) International medical graduates must possess a valid ECFMG certificate. 
4) International medical graduates must be recent graduates of medical school.
5) Significant clinical experience in the United States or Canada with supporting letters of reference. 
6) The University of Massachusetts does not offer observerships or externships.

Two PGY1 residents are accepted into the integrated program each year through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).  Applications to the program are coordinated through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).