The Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Department of Surgery
tmc

Resident Program Overview

 


Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency Program:

The University of Texas Medical School at HoustonProgram Summary

The University of Texas Medical School at Houston Plastic Surgery Program is a two year program using the independent model, designed to prepare the trainee to meet all requirements needed for certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The program may be extended to three (3) years of Plastic Surgery Training for 2010.

Memorial Hermann Hospital-TMC is the primary teaching hospital for the Program and is a Level 1 Trauma Center and general care not-for-profit Hospital. Extensive training in general reconstructive plastic surgery with an emphasis on post-traumatic reconstruction, microvascular surgery including replantation and free flap transfer, general burn reconstruction, maxillofacial and cranio-facial surgery and aesthetic surgery are offered to the resident staff. Two months of the Plastic Surgery rotation are carried out at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center emphasizing head and neck, breast and trunk oncological reconstruction. Additional experience in aesthetic, congenital and general Plastic Surgery is obtained in a two-month junior resident exchange with the Plastic Surgery Program at Methodist Hospital. The curriculum is designed to fulfill the requirements of the American Board of Plastic Surgery for training programs.

Two Plastic Surgery residents per year are admitted into the Program and retain responsibilities for all phases of patient management to include diagnosis and treatment, particularly in the preoperative, operative and postoperative phases of care. All surgery, elective, urgent and emergent, is directly supervised by Attending Staff. When possible, a training mission to a foreign country, in which management of cleft lip and palate is emphasized, is available to the senior residents. This unique experience is arranged in conjunction with various philanthropic plastic surgical organizations.

Formal rounds are conducted twice a week in which didactic presentations of current topics in Plastic Surgery with discussion are featured. Other regular teaching conferences include a monthly Morbidity and Mortality Conference, combined ENT/OMF Maxillo-Facial Rounds, Mock Oral Examinations, Research and Burn Grand Rounds, Journal Club and a Service Meeting addressing QA/PI issues. Teaching sessions in conjunction with other services are available to the resident staff.

Research projects can be carried out in conjunction with the many other disciplines available in the Medical School and all residents must carry out a research project during the residency. Basic microvascular training is a mandatory component of the program.

The training program provides equitable wage and benefits package of life, health and disability, and professional liability insurance for the resident trainees. This information is available by contacting us directly. The On-Call schedule is designed to allow adequate off-duty time for the residents and to allow for outside reading and recreation in accordance with ACGME duty hour restrictions. The Medical School facility provides a readily accessible library of texts and journals, both in the academic offices of the Division of Plastic Surgery and the Jesse Jones Library. Computer facilities are provided specifically for the resident staff in the Division along with a library of current DVD’s.

The University of Texas Program participates in the Plastic Surgery Match, sponsored by the Association of Academic Chairmen of Plastic Surgery. Information is available at www.sfmatch.org. All applicants applying to the program must have pre-requisite training approval from the American Board of Plastic Surgery as outlined in the American Board of Plastic Surgery Inc BOOKLET of information. This information is available at www.abplsurg.org.

Donald H. Parks, M.D., F.R.C.S. (C), F.A.C.S.
Professor and Program Director

It is the goal of The University of Texas program in plastic surgery to educate and train physicians in the art and science of plastic and reconstructive surgery and to develop a responsible plastic surgeon with high moral and ethical character capable of functioning as an independent plastic surgeon.