Plastic Surgery Residency
Tertiary plastic surgery training in a community environment.
About us
The Geisinger Plastic Surgery residency is a six-year integrated training program that accepts one resident each year at a PGY 1 level. The residency is primarily based at Geisinger Medical Center, a tertiary care facility in Danville, Pa. Geisinger serves approximately 1 million residents of central, north-central and northeastern Pennsylvania.
The residency offers a comprehensive experience in all aspects of plastic surgery with exposure to subspecialties including microsurgery, hand surgery, aesthetic surgery and craniofacial/pediatric surgery. Research opportunities are plentiful and supported by resources within the surgical institute, Geisinger Health Science Libraries and close affiliation with Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.
This broad, high level of training takes place in the scenic rural setting of central Pennsylvania, offering a unique learning environment to those who choose a Geisinger residency.
> Meet the Faculty
> Meet the Residents
Program overview
The Geisinger Plastic Surgery Residency aims to provide the highest quality of education and clinical experience to you, our residents. This will enable you to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes to become independent practitioners of plastic surgery, in whatever field of plastic surgery that inspires you. We can accomplish this mission through your progressive responsibility and autonomy under the supervision and guidance of our faculty members. As a resident, you’ll train in plastic surgery in a variety of settings and locations. You’ll see patients in a hospital clinic, a freestanding office setting and a surgical outpatient center. Training will take place primarily in Danville at Geisinger Medical Center, but you’ll also spend time in Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia, State College and Allentown.
An integrated health system features cooperation between disciplines to achieve optimal patient care. That multidisciplinary environment will give you experience in different settings including trauma, head and neck surgery, breast surgery and cleft/craniofacial care. You’ll benefit from rotation experiences on a variety of services related to plastic surgery, including oral surgery, oculoplastic surgery, otolaryngology, dermatology, Mohs surgery, orthopaedic hand surgery and trauma.
Another important aspect of the residency: service to the community. The Geisinger footprint encompasses a predominantly rural population. This means you’ll be exposed to patients who are farmers that live hours away from healthcare and lack basic resources, including Amish and Mennonite patients. Community service is a hallmark of the program. Our residents, in conjunction with the Plastic Surgery Department, are involved in a number of community service projects.
Rotations: The Geisinger Plastic Surgery Integrated Residency program provides a varied clinical experience, with early exposure to Plastic Surgery rotations. The block schedule below provides an outline of typical clinical rotations by year.
Structured education: You’ll spend three hours of protected time each week in education conference, which includes didactic lectures, workshops, research updates, morbidity and mortality and others. Each week one hour is dedicated to resident-driven education. Besides weekly conference, the educational curriculum includes experiences such as microsurgical lab, cadaver lab, weekly indications conference, journal club and resident injectables clinic. Those of you who are senior residents will also participate in mock oral boards and resident aesthetic clinic.
Scholarly activity: Resident research is supported and expected. Administrative support and funding for research projects and conference travel are provided. Department-wide research meetings are held every six to eight weeks. In addition, 20 days in PGY3 (biweekly while on Plastic Surgery rotation) and two months in PGY4 are set aside as dedicated research time.
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Program director's message
The goal of the Geisinger Plastic Surgery residency is to train you to be the best plastic surgeon you can be. We accomplish this with progressive autonomy, constant education and skill refinement — in the OR, the clinic and the classroom. Here, you’ll find an emphasis on technical excellence, operative autonomy and efficiency and the application of plastic surgical principles across all procedures. We’re focused on making you the best at whatever inspires you, no matter what kind of practice you want to have after you graduate.
Our plastic surgery faculty are primarily at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., and are fully committed to your education. You’ll work together to develop a relationship throughout your training. Our plastic surgery practice is broad and will expose you to the full breadth of the specialty, including microsurgery, craniofacial, general reconstructive and aesthetic. Though we’re a newer program, I’m confident you will find our commitment to the personalized education of our residents unique. Our job is to optimize your potential and set you up for success. Your job is to be an enthusiastic learner who’s committed to excellence. Thanks for your interest in the Geisinger Plastic Surgery Residency.
Best wishes,
Sean M. Devitt, MD
Program Director
