Residency Overview
The goal of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is to prepare you for a productive career in academic plastic surgery. As a resident in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, you will be presented with a wide range of surgical opportunities. Many cases, including replantation and soft tissue reconstruction, originate from UW Hospital’s Level One Trauma Center, or our Comprehensive Cancer Center. You’ll also accumulate additional experience by caring for patients in the Craniofacial Anomalies Clinic and in the attached VA Hospital. Rotations at American Family Children’s Hospital, Meriter Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison offer further experience in hand, aesthetic, pediatric and general reconstructive surgery.
You will be involved in all phases of patient care, from initial evaluation through surgery and postoperative care. The faculty-to-resident ratio ensures you’ll work closely with attending surgeons in developing treatment plans and surgical procedures.
Other experiences include Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery, Aesthetic Surgery at Transformations (our free standing cosmetic surgery center and clinic), Burn Surgery, and Mohs Micrographic Surgery reconstruction. The division also has a specialized microsurgery laboratory assistant to provide you with microsurgery training. During your chief year, you will have the opportunity to travel to and operate in a developing nation.
The Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery has a dedicated research laboratory. Selected integrated residents can conduct basic or translational research within the laboratory or at any supporting laboratory on campus. Residents are encouraged to develop research projects that utilize basic experimental approaches to answer questions that are of fundamental interest.