Absite Scores for Plastic Surgery

[mosfet]

I am an MS IV currently making the ROL for General Surgery Residencies. One of the fields I am interested in fellowships is Plastic Surgery.
So I was wondering how important Absite scores and USMLE scores are in getting plastics fellowship. Also does it matter if you do your general surgery residency at a university program or a community program? I am currently stuck between ranking a middle-tier university program and a fairly well-known community program as #1. And how important is it to take time off to do basic or clinical science research.

Cheers

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[Moravian]

I am an MS IV currently making the ROL for General Surgery Residencies. One of the fields I am interested in fellowships is Plastic Surgery. I was wondering how important Absite scores and USMLE scores are in getting plastics fellowship. Also does it matter if you do your general surgery residency at a university program or a community program? I am currently stuck between ranking a middle-tier university program and a fairly well-known community program as #1. And how important is it to take time off to do basic or clinical science research.

Let me start off by saying that I trained at a community program. Two others who graduated from my program (one a year ahead of me and one three years behind) scored plastic surgery fellowships. Others that trained there went onto minimally invasive and vascular fellowships at prestigious programs. Interestingly, most of the plastics people I run into (at meetings, courses, etc.) who are general surgery trained did so at an academic center. I think this is more of a self selection phenomena in that most trainees at non-academic places may not be all that interested in post graduate fellowship work. Understand that I'm not recommending one over the other...they both have their pluses and minuses. You might want to see if anyone from the community program you're interested in went onto fellowships. You can usually find this out at your interviews.

When I interviewed for fellowships as a PGY-4, I asked the programs why they invited me. Most places tend to have some sort of scoring system based loosely on USMLEs, ABSITEs, research, volunteerism, participation in committees, papers and the like. The feeling I got was that the ABSITE scores were VERY important, more so than research experience (but not in place of).

I am not a proponent of taking time off for research. Others may disagree, but I think it's a waste of time unless it's doing something that you're really interested in, or perhaps it's because the person in the lab gets a shot the fellowship spot at the institution where they're doing research. During surgery residency, there are always opportunities for case reports, chart reviews and maybe a small clinical trial for obtaining publications. This is usually enough to show that you jumped through the hoop.

In the end, you should do what you think that would make you the most happy. For me, seeing how the GS residents were treated when I was a med student (and how I was treated) was enough for me to not train in an academic center.

Best,

--M

 

[mosfet]

Hi Moravian,
I really appreciate you answering my questions. I find your posts invaluable. One little tidbit I did not mention in the earlier post is that I am an FMG from a Caribbean med school. Inspite of that, I managed to get a good number of interviews in GS at both university and community-based programs, most probably because of my USMLE scores. I was wondering how much Plastics fellowship programs take into account the fact that I am an FMG. In other words, how much of a detriment is it? I don't see why even after doing 5 years of GS training at a US institution should they look at which med school you went to. As you mentioned, I DO plan on doing extremely well on the ABSITEs and probably take a year off to do some research in either plastics or another surgical field and if possible even make some connections during that time. Would exceling at those things offset the fact that I am an FMG? Do you know of any FMGs that successfully did that?

Sorry to bother you with so many questions but I was just curious how realistic it is to do plastics. Also I am not one of those that went to general surgery with the intention to go into only plastics. If I can't get into plastics I will be more than happy to practice as a general surgeon or go into another fellowship of my choice.

 

[Moravian]

I DO plan on doing extremely well on the ABSITEs and probably take a year off to do some research in either plastics or another surgical field and if possible even make some connections during that time. Would exceling at those things offset the fact that I am an FMG? Do you know of any FMGs that successfully did that?

I know two FMGs that did something of what you mentioned. One did his medical school in Ireland, went to Johns Hopkins of all places for a transitional year, got into the general surgery program, then got into their plastics program. Another actually did his general surgery residency in England, came to the United States and did ANOTHER surgery residency at a community program and then went on to plastics from there. So it is possible.

At the end of the day, all that any of us can do is our very best in learning as much as we can and taking the best care of our patients. Be the best doctor you can be, do well on your exams, and best of luck.

--M