Residency Fellowship
Cleveland Clinic is one of the nation's largest group practice organizations with over 1,400 full-time, salaried physicians. Cleveland Clinic's main campus offers inpatient graduate medical education training programs and allied health education programs. The broad patient base and extensive expertise of the institution's faculty provide an excellent training environment.
This compilation of materials is intended to help the plastic surgery resident and fellow to become integrated into the plastic surgery residency, and fellowships to successfully complete the training program and then to achieve certification. Many of the dates, addresses, conditions and fees described herein are subject to frequent change; thus the resident would be wise to use the latest available edition of this work and to confirm information when it is critical.
Plastic Surgery Residency Program
Doctor and Student
The Plastic Surgery Department at Cleveland Clinic is deeply committed to its Plastic Surgery Residency Program. The program is currently a two-year independent program requiring a minimum of three years of general surgery residency or board eligibility in another surgical subspecialty (e.g., orthopaedics, otolaryngology, oral surgery, urology).
The Plastic Surgery Department offers its residents a wide breadth of clinical plastic surgery experience comprising all diverse areas. The clinical areas of breast, cosmetic, maxillofacial, hand surgery and microsurgery are particularly strong.
In addition to broad clinical strength, the department has a nationally renowned research laboratory with a full-time MD -PhD head, a full-time laboratory technician, four full-time research fellows and 1800 square feet of designated research space.
The Plastic Surgery Residency Program at Cleveland Clinic was reviewed in 2006 and received a five-year approval by the Residency Review Committee. The two-year program has 12 full-time clinical staff and one full-time MD - PhD research staff person training three residents per year for a total of six residents.
- Clinical Experience
- Educational Experience
- Facilities
- Resources
- Compensation and Benefits
- Appointments and Applications
Clinical Experience
Cleveland Clinic's two-year Plastic Surgery Residency Program provides training in all areas including:
- Aesthetic Surgery
- Burns
- Breast Reconstruction
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Congenital Craniofacial Problems
- Endoscopic Surgery
- Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
- Hair Replacement
- Head and Neck Tumors
- Laser Resurfacing and Skin Care
- Maxillofacial Surgery and Maxillofacial Trauma
- Microsurgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Wound Reconstruction
Educational Experience
Conferences
- The Plastic Surgery Department's conference schedule includes three conferences per week beginning at 7:00 a.m., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. All residents are required to attend all conferences, which include cadaver labs.
- Conferences are topic-based, and each week a given topic is covered. Monday, Wednesday and Friday conferences all treat the same topic in a different manner, thus treating 33 different topics per year.
- Monday Conference is devoted to reviewing classic articles in the literature on the topic of the week.
- Wednesday Conference from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. is "Indications" conference. This is a case-oriented conference prepared dually by one resident and one staff person. Evaluation and management of clinical plastic surgery problems are emphasized on the topic of the week.
- Thursday Conference alternates between a biweekly research conference, morbidity and mortality, and quality assurance.
- Friday Conference is didactic and headed by one of the plastic surgery staff covering the topic of the week.
Advisers
Each resident is appointed a faculty adviser early in his or her first year. The adviser acts to both focus the resident's clinical research and to shepherd the resident through his or her clinical training.
Resident Review
Each year, a personal resident educational review is administered on a quarterly basis. The written in-service examination each year is also a required exam and is used as a tool for promotion to the next year.
Teaching Experience
Residents have opportunities to teach junior residents and medical students in clinic, hospital and surgical settings. Opportunities also exist for presentations to staff at Cleveland Clinic.
ACLS
Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification is required for all Cleveland Clinic residents and fellows. Cleveland Clinic will assist in training and the certification examination.
Research Experience
- The Plastic Surgery research program is directed by Maria Siemionow, MD, PhD. The focus of the lab is research in microsurgery, peripheral nerve, wound healing and craniofacial biology. Dr. Siemionow is supported by three research fellows, and a full-time laboratory technician and teaching assistant. Ample opportunity for both internal and external funding exists.
- Plastic Surgery residents have no significant basic science research requirement. However, they are assigned to one clinical research project during their two years and are encouraged to follow this project peripherally. Each resident is expected to complete one clinical research project per year.
- The residents do take a microsurgery course during their first year to gain proficiency in clinical microsurgery. This course is run by Dr. Maria Siemionow and her team.
- The research laboratory is 1800 square feet of space designated solely to plastic surgery.
Call Frequency
The call schedule varies with the year of training. The first year generally varies from every third to fourth day. The second-year residents alternate weeks.
Evaluation
The progress of residents is monitored throughout the training program. Specifically, progress in fund of knowledge, surgical skills and surgical judgment are evaluated. Each resident has a faculty adviser/mentor. The advisers meet informally throughout the two years. The PSOLs are periodically reviewed, and the residency director meets formally with the residents during the two years.
Visiting Professors
Two to four visiting professors are sponsored each year. The regional plastic surgery community joins Cleveland Clinic in sponsoring the visiting professors, who are leaders in their fields. The staff and residents spend time with the visiting professor at lectures, discussions and dinners.
Facilities
Cleveland Clinic's main campus includes a clinic, outpatient surgery facilities, hospital and operating room complex. More than a dozen family health centers-some with ambulatory surgery capabilities-are located within the Greater Cleveland area. The Cleveland Clinic Health System comprises nearly a dozen community-based hospitals.
Resources
The Plastic Surgery Department has advanced facilities for plastic surgery training. Residents have access to lasers, microsurgery robots, microsurgery laboratory, minimally invasive surgery center, ultrasonic-assisted liposuction technology and computer imaging capabilities.
The department, which has two photographers, now is fully digitized. The Medical Illustrations and Graphics Department assists in presentations.
Information Services
- The Plastic Surgery Department and the Hand and Upper Extremity Center have extensive collections of pertinent texts and journals, as well as audiotapes and videotapes.
- Medline is available in the library and on networked personal computers. Reference librarians are available to assist with retrieval of desired medical information.
- Residents have access to Windows-networked computers for their use in acquiring information on patient care, education and research. Word processing, database, statistics and presentation software also is available.
Compensation and Benefits
- Residents may take up to three weeks (15 days) of vacation per year.
- Cleveland Clinic will authorize reimbursement of expenses related to research presentations made by residents at regional and national meetings.
- Cleveland Clinic has a competitive salary and benefits package that includes: comprehensive medical care insurance; voluntary basic life insurance; additional life insurance; short- and long-term disability coverage; family life insurance; and accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
- A dental plan, and professional and excess personal liability insurance also are available.
Appointments and Applications
- To apply to the Plastic Surgery Residency Program, submit:
- a completed universal Plastic Surgery Residency Match Program application
- college, graduate school and medical school transcripts
- board scores
- a dean's letter and two letters of recommendation
- curriculum vitae
- personal statement
- ECFMG certificate (if applicable)
- These components of application are centrally processed by the Plastic Surgery Residency Match Program.
- Cleveland Clinic has three positions per year for its two-year Plastic Surgery Residency Program. Applications are processed through the National Residency Matching Program.
- Invited applicants will visit Cleveland Clinic for tours and interviews with all staff. The day is completed with dinner. Direct inquiries to R.Yetman, MD, Plastic Surgery Residency Program director. Phone: 216.444.6908.
Rotation Schedule
- The Plastic Surgery Department has a state-of-the-art microsurgery laboratory. In the first weeks of training, new residents undergo a week of intensive microsurgical training.
- Residents are mentored through the first and second years to increase their fund of knowledge, surgical skills and surgical judgment. Explicit emphasis on surgical judgment is given during the second year of training.
- Second-year residents participate in a resident aesthetic clinic. Currently, the clinic is held throughout the year. Various staff areas are assigned to assist the residents in aesthetic consultations and procedures. The patients receive service at reduced fees.
- Residents are required to present one paper during each of their first and second years. Residents may be sponsored and attend any regional or national meeting if their paper is accepted for presentation.
- Second-year residents serve as administrative chief residents during alternating time periods. The administrative chief resident assists with resident education and administrative duties.
- During the first year, residents are sent to the ASMS Basic Maxillofacial Course. Cleveland Clinic will cover expenses for one other meeting or course during a resident's first year. Second-year residents have paid expenses to the ASPRS meeting, the CCF-Florida Innovations meeting and one additional meeting. Second-year residents also attend the Senior Residents Conference.
