Residency Programs in the Division of Plastic Surgery
University of Utah School of Medicine
Dear Applicant,
We are pleased that you are interested in training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Utah. For independent resident applicants, we participate in the San Francisco Match and would request that you apply for residency training through this program at www.sfmatch.org .
In January we will select applicants for the interview on-site in Salt Lake City. Interviews are tentatively set for March, with the match deadline being in May, and match results published two to three weeks later.
If you are interested in the combined (newly) 6 year residency, please apply through ERAS by visiting their website www.aamc.org/eras . This will include 3 years of General Surgery and 3 years of Plastic Surgery. Matching will be done through NRMP.
The Plastic Surgery residency at the University of Utah conforms to the guidelines set forth by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. One resident each year is accepted through the independent match and one is accepted as a PGY 1 through the combined match.
The clinical rotations cover 4 hospitals. The University of Utah Medical Center is the primary teaching institution with approximately 12 months of the 2 years being spent there. Primary Children's Medical Center is the only comprehensive children's hospital in the Intermountain West. This rotation occupies approximately 6 months of the total residency. The Veterans Administration Medical Center is the regional referral center for the VA medical system and also supplies 6 months of clinical work. Our group also covers the plastic surgery service at Shriners Hospital.
The University of Utah Medical Center and the Primary Children's Medical Center are the regional referral centers for adult and pediatric medical care respectively. The entire range of plastic surgical procedures is provided by these institutions. In addition, the Madsen Surgical Center, on the campus of the University of Utah, provides an outpatient surgical facility very well suited to cosmetic procedures and other outpatient surgeries. As the VA Medical Center is the regional referral center for the VA medical system, a wide spectrum of hand and reconstructive procedures are available as well as head and neck cancers.
A full microsurgery training facility exists in conjunction with the Division of Plastic Surgery. Opportunities for plastic surgery, hand, and craniofacial research are available.
The teaching program is centered at the University of Utah and is coordinated by the full time faculty. Clinical faculty at Primary Children's and the VA Medical Center add variety and a different perspective to the resident teaching. Weekly conferences consist of grand rounds covering the main topics in plastic surgery, case conference discussing the upcoming weeks interesting cases, hand conference held in conjunction with the department of Orthopedics, and a general review conference oriented towards studying for the in-service test and board examinations.
In the last few years, about half of our residents have gone on to secondary fellowships, primarily Hand or Craniofacial, in order to sub-specialize. Most have subsequently gone into private practice throughout the country.
The regional area is one of the most beautiful in the country. Situated at 5,000 feet elevation, the Medical Center is at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. While providing a wide variety of biking and hiking trails in the summer, the mountains provide unparalleled skiing in the winter. While outdoor activities are very popular, a wide variety of cultural and artistic activities are also available. Salt Lake City presents a very enjoyable living environment.
We feel that we have an excellent, dynamic training program set in one of the most beautiful and livable areas of this country. We welcome your application to become part of our program.
Sincerely Yours,
W. Bradford Rockwell, M.D.
Professor of Surgery
Chief, Division of Plastic Surgery
Program Director | 
