Plastic Surgery
Contacts
Specialty Advisor and APEX Champion
Residency Program Director and Surgical Subspecialty Acting Internship Faculty Lead
Specialty Overview
A plastic surgeon deals with the repair, reconstruction or replacement of physical defects of form or function involving the skin, musculoskeletal system, craniomaxillofacial structures, hand, extremities, breast and trunk and external genitalia or cosmetic enhancement of these areas of the body. Cosmetic surgery is an essential component of plastic surgery. The plastic surgeon uses cosmetic surgical principles to both improve overall appearance and to optimize the outcome of reconstructive procedures.
Plastic Surgery | Careers in Medicine (AAMC CiM log in required)
How long is this specialty's residency?
It depends on which pathway. Integrated plastic surgery residency programs are often six years plus any research time. Independent programs often require five years of general surgery training, plus any research time (now a part of many general surgery programs), followed by three years of plastic surgery training.
Websites for Reference
ACEPS - American Council of Educators in Plastic Surgery
AAPS - American Association of Plastic Surgeons
Away Electives
Away Electives
Yes
How many aways should I do?
3
Order of Away vs Home
Whatever order student chooses
Programs where ISMMS students have completed away electives.
CA
Keck School of Medicine of USC
1
CA
University of California San Francisco
1
MA
Harvard Medical School Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
1
MD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
3
NY
New York University
2
NY
Zucker SOM Hofstra/Northwell
1
PA
University of Pittsburgh
1
Match Statistics
Information provided by the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) Charting Outcomes in the Match, last updated August 2024
Mean Number of Contiguous Ranks
13.6
Mean USMLE Step 2 CK Score
256
Mean Number of Research Experiences
8.6
Mean Number of Abstracts, Presentations and Publications
34.7
Competitiveness
Source: 2025 Match Advanced Data Tables
In the 2025 Match there were 221 positions in 91 programs, 89.1% of positions were filled by U.S. MD Seniors.
Application Information
Application System
ERAS
Match System
NRMP
Signaling
Source: ERAS Signaling and 2025 ERAS Data
How Many?
20
Signal Home Program?
Yes
Signal Away Program?
Check with individual programs
Average Number of Applications Submitted
10.24
Letters of Recommendation
Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLOE)?
No
Departmental/Chair Letter?
Recommended but not required
Who should other letters come from?
Aim for multiple letters (2-3) from plastic surgery faculty who can attest to your strengths. Establishing early relationships with several faculty through mentorship or research is beneficial. Whenever possible, gather a diverse range of letters, including from a research mentor, clinical faculty you've worked with, and a division or department leader. It is a small field so having letters from known and respected surgeons is helpful.
Interviewing and Post Interview Communication
Applications are downloaded by programs...
On the first date they are available- students should submit everything prior to that date
This specialty’s MSH program interviews all ISMMS students who apply.
Yes
Interviews are sent out...
Interviews are usually sent out during the 2nd week of November.
Thank You Emails
You can if you’d like, it's a nice thing to do but will not make or break your chances. Thank you note policy varies from program to program - if they explicitly ask that Thank You notes not be sent, do not send a thank you note. Otherwise, a thank you note is helpful.
Letters of Intent
Yes, letters of intent are helpful to programs and applicants but make sure you're only sending to one program if you are telling them they are #1 on your rank list. Consult with an advisor before sending.
ISMMS Match Data 2020-2025
B I Deaconess Med Ctr-MA
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
Hosp of the Univ of PA
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
ISMMS Mount Sinai Hospital-NY
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
U Michigan Hosps-Ann Arbor
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
Univ of Chicago Med Ctr-IL
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
Possible 'At Risk' Identifiers
For Plastic Surgery, higher Step 2 scores are important (>245), as well as strong letters and an "adequate" amount of research in the field or a related field. Those without these metrics risk a low number of interviews and/or not matching.
Last updated