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Residency in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

The Combined Divisions of Plastic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital offer a fully ACGME-accredited Independent Plastic Surgery Residency Program of three years duration.

The residency program ensures experience in all of the core subject areas in the discipline of plastic and reconstructive surgery including cosmetic surgery, hand surgery, pediatric and craniofacial surgery, and microsurgery.

The goal of the residency program is to attract and produce highly moral, ethical and highly skilled surgeons, who will become leaders in the specialty of plastic surgery during their professional careers.

Participating Institutions include both NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Residents also rotate through Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, the Hospital for Special Surgery, Harlem Hospital Center, Lenox Hill Hospital, and Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. Each of these outstanding facilities exposed the resident to the diverse nature of clinical disorders managed by Plastic Surgeons, ranging from complex tertiary care reconstructions to a resident run Aesthetic Surgery clinic. Exposure to Burn care, trauma and the interdisciplinary nature of cancer care and traumatic injuries is realized. Additional time is devoted to an out-patient office experience where residents participate in the care of private practice patients under the direct supervision of the reputable and experienced Weill Cornell voluntary faculty, increasing their exposure to ethical practice, the business side of Plastic Surgery and outpatient safety.

A scheduled elective period allows for rotations in Dermatology, ENT, and Orthopedics or can be used for surgical trips to perform volunteer surgery as part of scheduled surgical missions. Individualized use of the elective time, whether it is for clinical or research reasons is facilitated.

The program is in complete compliance with all ACGME, New York State and New York-Presbyterian Hospital rules and regulations regarding resident supervision and work hour limitations.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's location in Manhattan, with access to subsidized Hospital housing in New York's famed Upper East Side location adds a quality of lifestyle experience difficult for other training programs to match.

The program has three residents each year for a total complement of nine residents. One resident is matched to the program through the San Francisco match program, open to those surgical trainees who will complete their pre-requisite training as part of a categorical general surgery residency or other approved pathway from the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The two other positions are filled through the NRMP PGY1 match each year. One medical student successfully matches to three years of their pre-requisite training in General Surgery at the Weill Cornell General Surgery Residency program, another to the Columbia University Medical Center General Surgery Residency for their three years of pre-requisite training. These two trainees are then promoted directly into the Independent three year Plastic Surgery Residency Program upon successful completion of their pre-requisite training.

Over the past decade our resident graduates have either followed career pathways in academic Plastic Surgery, taken additional fellowship training in Craniofacial Surgery, Microsurgery or Hand Surgery or have pursued private practice opportunities in equal numbers. All resident graduates participate in the certification process offered by the American Board of Plastic Surgery with 100% of the graduates becoming board-certified over time.

Residents are required to pursue independent clinical or basic science research during their time in the program. Presentation and/or publication of their research at a national meeting or prominent journal is a requirement for graduation.

The program has full-time faculty at each participating Institution that directly supervises the resident's experience. A large and diverse voluntary faculty, including practitioners form related disciplines like Dermatology. ENT, Orthopedics and Urology are also privileged within the Division.

Additional information about Graduate Medical Education at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is available on The Hospital's website as well as the web site for the Department of Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center.