Plastics "Names"

[ArtemisEntreri]

Hi everyone,

A common theme I've been noticing is that to get into a plastics residency you need to have "big name" plastic surgeons back your candidacy. This may seem like an odd question but who exactly are the "big names"? My med school's in NYC and I know some of the plastics faculty but besides looking at things like chairman vs. assistant professor I really don't know how well-known they are on a national level. Can any of you help me out? I'm thinking a bit ahead for potential away rotations.

Thanks!

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[Arenas]

I would say that the quick and dirty way is to look at how many times they have published (research journals and books).

But then, I think ultimately the best way is to just be around plastics folk. Otherwise, I would have never learned that some guy in Taiwan named Fu Chan Wei is one of the greatest plastic surgeons to walk to the earth.

 

[turundu]

Hi everyone,

A common theme I've been noticing is that to get into a plastics residency you need to have "big name" plastic surgeons back your candidacy. This may seem like an odd question but who exactly are the "big names"? My med school's in NYC and I know some of the plastics faculty but besides looking at things like chairman vs. assistant professor I really don't know how well-known they are on a national level. Can any of you help me out? I'm thinking a bit ahead for potential away rotations.

Thanks!

I found this list from an old forum (2002) that might need some updates:

A few others I would add to that list
Dr. Luis Vasconez (UAB)
Dr. Donald Serafin (DUKE)
Drs. Nahai and Hester (Atlanta)
Dr. Ed Luce (Case Western Reserve U.)
Drs. Aston & Dan Baker (Manhattan)
Dr. Saleh Shenaq (Baylor U.)
Dr Bruce Shack (Vanderbilt)
Dr Ian Jackson (Grand Rapids,MI)
Drs. Gunter & Fritz Barton (Dallas)
Dr. Stephen Mathes (UCSF)
Drs. Thomas Kryziek & Robson (Tampa)
Dr. Longaker (Stanford U)
Dr Don Baker (miami)
Dr Whitaker (U. Penn)
Dr Pat Maxwell (Nashville)
& too many others to mention....


There's also a most comprehensive list cited here:http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=216626

From this information you should be able to figure out who you should be tagging along...

 

[maxheadroom]

I found this list from an old forum (2002) that might need some updates:

A few others I would add to that list
Dr. Luis Vasconez (UAB)
Dr. Donald Serafin (DUKE)
Drs. Nahai and Hester (Atlanta)
Dr. Ed Luce (Case Western Reserve U.)
Drs. Aston & Dan Baker (Manhattan)
Dr. Saleh Shenaq (Baylor U.)
Dr Bruce Shack (Vanderbilt)
Dr Ian Jackson (Grand Rapids,MI)
Drs. Gunter & Fritz Barton (Dallas)
Dr. Stephen Mathes (UCSF)
Drs. Thomas Kryziek & Robson (Tampa)
Dr. Longaker (Stanford U)
Dr Don Baker (miami)
Dr Whitaker (U. Penn)
Dr Pat Maxwell (Nashville)
& too many others to mention....


There's also a most comprehensive list cited here:http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=216626

From this information you should be able to figure out who you should be tagging along...

OK, Mathes and Shenaq are both dead. Whitaker retired. Luce left CWRU in disgrace after his residency program was shut down -- he's now in Memphis.

 

[marsblackmon]

one could say that list above is dated but heres a list of people that are well known in academia: gruss, neligan, vedder, garner, sherman, bentz, fine, dumanian, mustoe, zook, mackinnon, spear, nahabedian, attinger, mccarthy, andy lee, serletti, bartlett, rubin, losee, guyuron, gosain, phillips, mackay, puckett, zamboni, wolfe, kawamoto, taub, silver, pretty much any harvard faculty member (yaremchuk, pribaz, may, etc), manson, rohrich, janis, kenkel, hollier, kuzon, cederna, chung, evans, persing, vasconez brothers, any nyu faculty member (baker, aston, jelks, etc.), langstein

 

[Moravian]

It's not as important as to who the letter is from but what that person says about you. For instance, there is a very well known and very famous academic plastic surgeon who (I believe this to be true from reading his letters over the past 4 years) has three "form" letters for recommendations. One says something like "this is a hardworking resident and I'm sure they will do well in plastic surgery." Another says, "This is a great resident and I'm sure they will do well in your program. The top one says something along the lines of: "This is an outstanding resident and we are actively trying to recruit them to our program."

Sometimes, as an interviewer, you need to know the source of the letter. For instance, another really famous guy writes so-so letters for just about everyone. When he gets excited about someone, I know it's the real deal. Others may write great letters for just about everyone.

The key for our program (and I can't imagine this doesn't go on at other places) is the phone call and emails after interviews. Plastic surgery is a small enough community in that no matter who writes your letter, someone knows them and will be calling or emailing for more specifics.

The best is the unsolicited phone call. An attending is not going to make a call for you and put his reputation on the line unless he/she thinks you are the best thing since corn tortillas.

For instance, we had a candidate that was great on paper, had great letters, rotated with us, but some of the faculty thought he didn't interview well and he was on the verge of getting knocked off the top tier. Phone calls from the people at his home institution made the difference in him staying in the top 5 and not getting ranked in the bottom 15.

So, who you know is important, but it really is what they say about you.

And don't ask Max for letters. He thinks anyone who doesn't like hand is an idiot. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.

 

[maxheadroom]

And don't ask Max for letters. He thinks anyone who doesn't like hand is an idiot. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.

I just don't understand the desire to make FLKs a bit less funny looking. I'm just savin' the world from Corporal Tunnel Syndrome, one hand at a time.

 

[ReptarBar]

hello im an undergrad student that does a lot of clinical and lab research regarding facial paralysis. i was wondering if getting a bunch of pubs + being acquainted with many experts (it seems to be a small area) would help me get a facial plastics fellowship in the future (i have heard that undergrad pubs dont count?). i know its early, but i already have a huge interest in the specialty and wouldnt mind pursuing it...

 

[ArtemisEntreri]

Thanks for the help, everyone!

 

[...to_the_OR!]

As far as names, just look at the editor list in the font of the white journal. Also most of the chapter authors in Grabb and Smith are pretty well known. Most program directors listed on Freida or AMSA or wherever are well known too.