Program Overview

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Introduction to the Plastic Surgery Residency Program

The Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone offers a comprehensive residency program in plastic surgery, providing residents with extensive training in various subspecialties. These include aesthetic surgery, breast reconstruction, cleft lip and palate surgery, craniofacial and maxillofacial surgery, extremity reconstruction, facial trauma, gender-affirming surgery, hand surgery, head and neck reconstruction, microsurgery, nonsurgical aesthetics, and ophthalmic plastic surgery.

Clinical Training

Clinical training is obtained through rotations at several sites, including NYU Langone's Tisch Hospital, Kimmel Pavilion, NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, the Manhattan campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System, and the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Surgeons at these training sites perform an average of 25 to 30 procedures a day, with an inpatient census of approximately 50 to 75. All major teaching sites have active resident clinics.

Didactic Program

The didactic program includes formal conferences, weekly lectures by faculty and guest lecturers, journal club, and attendance at special courses and symposia. The department also offers an annual microsurgery course for incoming PGY-4 residents and has a dissection lab with microscope access for practice.

Dissection Courses

The department has a cadaver education tissue lab and seminar room at NYU Langone's Joan and Joel Smilow Research Center, hosting various tissue dissection courses throughout the year. These courses enhance the surgical training curriculum and include a yearly flap course and monthly dissections with visiting and attending faculty.

Research Opportunities for Residents

Residents are encouraged to participate in clinical and basic science research, with fully equipped laboratories available for research in composite tissue allotransplantation, microsurgery, wound healing, craniofacial growth and development, computer imaging, and fat grafting.

Program History

The Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery has a storied history dating back to its founding in 1955. The department's history was highlighted by Dr. Sherrell J. Aston at the fourth Dr. Joseph G. McCarthy Lecture, emphasizing the many accomplishments of the department through the persistence and determination of its leadership, faculty, and residents.

Integrated Residency Pathway

The integrated residency pathway is a six-year program designed to provide residents with increasing levels of responsibility and broad experience in all areas of plastic surgery. The program includes core surgery rotations, "strongly recommended" rotations, and dedicated plastic and hand surgery rotations.

Rotations

• Core surgery rotations: breast and oncologic, abdominal and alimentary, pediatric, vascular, cardiothoracic, transplant, minimally invasive, and trauma and critical care surgery, as well as emergency medicine.
• "Strongly recommended" rotations: anesthesia, dermatology, otorhinolaryngology, orthopedics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and oculoplastic surgery.
• Dedicated plastic and hand surgery rotations at various training sites.

Residency Application Process

The program only accepts applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Four residency positions are available each year, with interviews held in-person in January.

Housing for Residents

NYU Grossman School of Medicine–subsidized housing is available to plastic surgery residents, with priority given to those matching from out of the region. Most residents live in off-campus apartments due to the generous compensation package that recognizes the high cost of housing in the area.

Faculty Members

The faculty includes renowned professionals in the field of plastic surgery, led by the residency program director and associate residency program director. Other notable faculty members include:

• Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS, Professor and Chair
• Nikhil A. Agrawal, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor
• Jonathan L. Bass, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor
• Lawrence B. Draper, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor
• Rachel Bluebond-Langner, MD, Associate Professor
• Daniel J. Ceradini, MD, Assistant Professor
• David T. Chiu, MD, Professor
• Ernest S. Chiu, MD, Associate Professor
• Mihye Choi, MD, Associate Professor
• Roberto L. Flores, MD, Associate Professor
• Nolan S. Karp, MD, Professor
• Jamie P. Levine, Associate Professor
• Michael S. Margiotta, MD, Assistant Professor
• Sheel Sharma, MD, Clinical Associate Professor
• Pradip R. Shetye, DDS, Assistant Professor
• David A. Staffenberg, MD, Professor
• Katie E. Weichman, MD, Associate Professor
• Barry M. Zide, MD, Professor

The program is designed to train the next generation of leading surgeons, researchers, and academics in plastic surgery, providing a comprehensive education and extensive clinical experience.