Residency Program

CLINICAL CARE

Residency training in plastic surgery at Stanford is a very busy, comprehensive clinical program, centered on providing the highest quality care to patients. Residents learn the essential skills to ensure patient safety, as well as achieve optimal patient outcomes. Residents rotate at seven major sites, which include Stanford University Hospital and Clinics, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Kaiser Santa Clara, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Hospital, California Pacific Medical Center & Buncke Microsurgery Clinic, and the Cosmetic Surgery Center.

Patients are referred to Stanford Hospital and Clinics from all around the San Francisco Bay Area, but also come from as far as Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Southern California. At Stanford, patients are also occasionally seen internationally from Asia and Europe. The Stanford medical campus has both a Comprehensive Cancer Center, Women’s Cancer Center, and is a Level I Trauma Hospital. This provides for exposure to a broad range of reconstructive challenges. Residents are exposed to every area of microsurgery and complex reconstruction including breast reconstruction, head & neck, extremity, abdominal wall reconstruction, pelvic and perineal reconstruction, hand, replantation, peripheral nerve, etc. Stanford performs a large volume of flaps, including D.I.E.P., S.I.E.A., S.G.A.P., T.R.A.M., A.L.T., fibula, parascapular, radial forearm, etc. Residents are also exposed to a large volume of non-microsurgical reconstructions.

A dedicated children’s hospital, Stanford Children's Health receives referrals from all over the Western United States. The plastic surgery service performs comprehensive pediatric care including repair of cleft lip, cleft palate, craniosynostosis, craniofacial congenital abnormalities, congenital nevi, and vascular malformation.

A referral center for plastic surgery within the Kaiser Healthcare System in the Northern California area. Residents are exposed to a broad range of plastic surgical problems from the straightforward to the complex. This includes exposure to craniofacial surgery, breast surgery (reconstruction, reduction, lift), microsurgery, breast reconstruction, head & neck surgery, chest wall reconstruction, abdominal wall reconstruction, hand surgery, and more.

A tertiary medical center, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is one of four adult level one trauma centers and one of three pediatric level one trauma centers in Northern California (in addition to Stanford Hospital). It operates the only federally designated spinal cord injury center in Northern California, along with the only traumatic brain injury center for the treatment and rehabilitation of patients. It operates one of four burn centers in Northern California. It is the only trauma center in California to co-locate all five of these services on one campus. Residents receive a large experience in trauma management, ICU, burn management (both acute as well as burn reconstruction), hand surgery, maxillofacial trauma, general reconstruction, and more.

VA Hospital Palo Alto is located 3.5 miles from Stanford Hospital. It serves a large population of America’s veterans, and provides comprehensive patient care. Residents in plastic surgery are exposed to management of skin cancers, melanoma, wounds, hand problems, and chronic illnesses. Various reconstructive procedures are performed, including grafting, nasal reconstruction, pedicled and free flaps, local flaps of the face, etc.

California Pacific Medical Center is one of the largest private, not-for-profit, academic medical centers in California and is a Sutter Health affiliate. As a tertiary referral center, the Medical Center provides a wide variety of services, including acute, post-acute and outpatient hospital care; home care and hospice services; preventive and complementary care and health education.

The Buncke Clinic was the home to one of the founding fathers and pioneers in microsurgery, Harry J. Buncke.  Today, it is a world-class microsurgical center that provides comprehensive, complex reconstruction throughout the entire body, with particular prominence for ground-breaking work in the hand and upper extremity.

The Cosmetic Surgery Center

The Plastic Surgery Center Palo Alto is 2 miles from Stanford Hospital.  Providing state-of-the-art aesthetic surgery, the center has 2 operating rooms and full service cosmetic procedures from skin care, botulinum toxin, dermal fillers to facelift, breast augmentation, liposuction, lasers, and more.  Residents obtain broad exposure to the full range of aesthetic surgery procedures.

RESEARCH

Stanford is a recognized world leader in research.  Residents are given opportunities to participate in a broad range of research and academic opportunities early on in their training, and can be tailored to the interests of the individual.  Stanford’s unique location in Silicon Valley also allows for exposure to the biotech and medical device industry.  The Bio-X, Bio-Design, and Bio-Innovation programs at Stanford create a rich environment for developing novel ideas and innovations.  Residents often complete the program having authored or co-authored 3-5+ manuscripts.  Several residents have co-authored 10+ manuscripts.  Whether it’s basic science research, such as stem cells, tissue engineering, wound healing, or novel therapeutics, Stanford has programs and laboratories doing research in just about every major area.  If your interest is mostly in clinical research, Stanford has programs and projects in surgical simulation, education, outcomes, health services, as well as retrospective and prospective clinical studies.

EDUCATION

Stanford has a strong commitment and tradition of educating and training future leaders in plastic and reconstructive surgery.  There are weekly educational conferences.  Grand Rounds conferences include invited distinguished speakers, journal club, didactic sessions, anatomy labs, small group workshops, case presentations, quality improvement, quality assurance, and outcomes sessions.  Residents are also given support to attend state and national meetings, including the California Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Association of Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and more.

Stanford Plastic Surgery Residency Program underwent its most recent site visit by the Plastic Surgery Residency Review Committee (RRC) & Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in 2009, and received the maximum 5-year full accreditation and a commendation for the educational program.  Residents receive exposure in pre-requisite surgical training with rotations in pediatric surgery, surgical ICU, trauma, general surgery, endocrine surgery, breast surgery, surgical oncology, cardiac surgery, transplant surgery, emergency room, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, and neurosurgery.  Plastic surgery requisite training is provided during rotations at Stanford as well as its affiliated hospitals with experiences in hand surgery, microsurgery, craniofacial surgery, head & neck surgery, pediatric plastic surgery, complex reconstruction, wound management, lower extremity, abdominal wall, pelvic & perineal, genital reconstruction, and chest wall reconstruction.  Stanford residents routinely exceed the minimum case log requirements as outlined by the ACGME/RRC.  Residents have a balance of both inpatient and outpatient clinic experiences to provide continuity of care for patients.

THE SILICON VALLEY AND SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

Stanford is situated in the heart of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.  This provides for a dynamic environment filled with individuals who may be associated with Stanford University, or the computer, tech, and biotech industries.  The area around Stanford is highly desirable with an outstanding public school system and a very robust housing market.  The Bay Area offers something for everyone, and has great cultural diversity.  San Francisco is also a short drive away, and affords a thriving nightlife, restaurants, the opera, symphony, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Golden Gate Park.  There are plenty of activities on Stanford University’s campus, but there are also plenty of activities in the surrounding area that include hiking, biking, beach activities, professional sporting events (basketball, football, hockey), fishing, camping, golfing, swimming, rock climbing, boating, surfing, and more.  Opportunities for winter sports including snow skiing is also within a 3-hour drive.  Life at Stanford is simply unparalleled.

A Message to our Prospective Program Applicants

Thank you for your interest in our Residency Program. The Stanford Plastic Surgery Residency-Training Program is a participant in the Electronic Residency Application Service [ERAS]. Please refer to the ERAS web site to complete your application for our program. Our application deadline is November 1st. The following information should be submitted through ERAS for our program:

• ERAS application form
• Medical school transcript
• National Board scores - Part I
• Minimum of 3 letters of recommendation (if possible, at least 1 from a plastic surgeon)
• We would appreciate a recent photograph if available
• Other material, such as the Dean's letter, is not expected until later in the year

Applicants wishing to arrange clinical rotations/clerkships before October 1st should submit their residency application material (as listed above) through ERAS. You should then contact the Office of Student Affairs at Stanford regarding obtaining a clerkship application. These rotations will be offered as long as slots remain available. Their web site address is: http://medfishbowl.stanford.edu/ and their telephone number is (650) 498-7619.

Please see the links at left for more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the program, as well as an important notice about a transition to a 7-year program.

Gordon Lee, M.D.

Program Director, Plastic Surgery Residency Training Program
Director of Microsurgery and Associate Professor
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery