Residency Program in Plastic Surgery

The Section of Plastic Surgery conducts a fully accredited 6 year coordinated training program based at The University of Chicago Hospitals.  Two residents are accepted each year from the NRMP match amongst a pool of extremely talented 4th year medical students and matriculate as PGY 1 residents into the training program.  The rotations of the first 3 years are focused on general surgical principles and each Plastic Surgery Resident is assigned to services across the disciplines and sub-specialties of surgery to provide a well rounded experience and knowledge of the full spectrum of surgery.  Special emphasis for the first 3 years is placed on ablative surgery for all types of cancer, trauma surgery/critical care, minimally invasive surgery, endocrine, thoracic, cardiac and transplant surgery.  Rotations to complement these disciplines are provided at several off-site institutions:  two community based hospitals (MacNeal and Weiss), and a level I trauma hospital (Cook County).  On-call duties are typically limited to an average of 2 weekends per month while on service as a night float rotation provides continuity of care. 

Graduated exposure to plastic surgery is also afforded to each resident in the first 3 years of residency culminating in the PGY3 year as the chief of the burn unit which is directed by faculty of the Section of Plastic Surgery.  Evaluations and mentoring is provided to each resident from the start of their training and residents in their first 3 years are encouraged to participate in all academic, educational and social events provided by the Section of Plastic Surgery.

The PGY 4 year is the beginning of the formal 3 years of dedicated training in Plastic Surgery.  Residents are assigned and rotate through 1 of 4 services at The University of Chicago Hospitals and also rotate off-site to Cook County Hospital for focused experience in head/neck trauma, Children's Memorial Hospital for focused experience in craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery and several private practice adjunct faculty for focused experience in cosmetic surgery and the management of a plastic surgery office.  Graduated responsibility and service management duties are given to the PGY 5 and each resident matures into the administrative chief resident during their PGY 6 year.  Special emphasis of our training program is placed on complex clinical solving and analytical thought and investigation.  This allows each graduate to be well versed in the entire spectrum of plastic surgery and nearly half of our graduates pursue a career in academic plastic surgery.  To this end, rotations are built around an apprenticeship model so that each resident while on any given rotation will experience not only the pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative management style of each faculty member, but will also be exposed to their professionalism, systems based practice methods and ethics.

Representative Rotation Schedules: PGY 1-3

PGY 1

 PGY 2

PGY 3

Representative Rotation Schedules: PGY 4-6

PGY 4

PGY 5
 

UCA = University of Chicago A Service
UCB = University of Chicago B Service
UCC = University of Chicago C Service
 
For a detailed description of each Service and their Goals and Objectives click here.

Research

All residents are encouraged to pursue clinical or basic investigation and typically each resident during the latter 3 years presents at regional and/or national meetings each year with at least 1 peer-reviewed publication per year.  Two of our full-time faculty members run basic science laboratories and are successful in competing for intra and extra-mural funding including NIH and other governmental sources.  Although protected time is currently not allotted to laboratory investigation, residents are encouraged to participate throughout their training.  The proximity of the laboratories to the offices and surgical theater allows for this possibility.

Benefits

Health, basic life and long-term disability insurance policies are provided for.  Residents are allowed 1 month paid vacation per year and for the first 3 years these are to be taken as 2 week or 1 month blocks.  For the latter 3 years are to be taken as 1 or 2 week blocks.  Up to 4 weeks paid short-term medical leave (including pregnancy) is also afforded to each resident.  The ACGME 80 hour work week is strictly adhered to.  For a detailed outline of the house staff contract please go to: http://www.uchospitals.edu/professionals/gme/resources.html

Philanthropy and Medical Missions

The hallmark of The University of Chicago Section of Plastic Surgery are the foreign mission trips that faculty partake in every year.  Residents in the latter 2 years of their training are invited to accompany the faculty, utilizing vacation time, to Puerto Rico, Honduras and/or the Dominican Republic.  An emphasis on cleft and congenital surgery is provided as well as the experience of cultural enrichment imbuing a sense of moral purpose which plastic surgery has always held.