Application Process
UPMC’s Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery offers two pathways to plastic surgery: the Integrated Model and the Independent Model.
The Integrated Model
The Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency Program at the University of Pittsburgh is an ACGME accredited pathway into Plastic Surgery in which a medical student matches directly from medical school into a seven-year Plastic Surgery Training Program, all seven years of training are provided under the direction of the Plastic Surgery Program Director. Of these seven years, 36 months must be concentrated plastic surgery education with no less than 12 months of chief responsibility on the clinical service of plastic surgery and 12 months will be dedicated laboratory research time. Residents must complete the last 36 months of their education in the same plastic surgery program.
Prerequisite Education
The applicant to the Integrated Model must have received an MD or DO degree from an institution accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Graduates of schools of medicine from countries other than the United States or Canada must present evidence of final certification by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
The Independent Model
The Independent Plastic Surgery Residency Program at the University of Pittsburgh is an ACGME accredited pathway into Plastic Surgery in which residents complete three years of concentrated plastic surgery education, with 12 months of chief responsibility, after successful completion of one of the following prerequisite curricula:
Prerequisite Education
Option one requires at least three years of clinical general surgery residency training to complete the prerequisite requirements of the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). Candidates must complete a minimum requirement of 36 months of training, including specific rotations noted in the ABPS Booklet of Information. This requirement of ABPS stipulates that a minimum of three years of clinical training in general surgery, with progressive responsibility, in the same program must be completed before the resident enters a plastic surgery residency.
Option two is available for residents who have satisfactorily completed a formal training program (and are board admissible or certified) in general surgery, otolaryngology, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, urology, or oral and maxillofacial surgery (the latter requiring two years of general surgery training in addition to an MD/DDS). Successful completion of these ACGME or ADA accredited programs fulfills the PREREQUISITE training requirement.
Residents can officially begin a plastic surgery training program (REQUISITE TRAINING) after completion of any of these PREREQUISITE options, which all require confirmation by the ABPS (Evaluation of Training Form with confirmation letter regarding the acceptability of the prerequisite training for the ABPS certification process).