Department of Defense Plastic Surgery Medical Student Rotations

Plastic Surgery Surgical Sub-Internship

Duration: 2-4 weeks
Students: 4th-year Health Profession Scholarship, Uniformed Services and Civilian Medical Students

Introduction

The plastic surgery clinical clerkship is a 2-4 week rotation aimed at 4th-year medical students interested in gaining plastic surgery experience (2 weeks) or completing a surgical sub-internship (4 weeks). Past students have targeted a career in general surgery, orthopedic surgery, urology, head & neck surgery, emergency medicine, and plastic surgery. Rotations are available at sites across the United States, with opportunities for surgical didactics at affiliated Universities. DoD Plastic Surgery Clinics provide the full breadth of plastic surgery procedures, and some, have fully integrated Wound Care Clinics.

Clinical & Educational Experience

Serve as surgical sub-intern under a General Surgery PGY-1 or -2 resident

Daily rounding on inpatients
Daily operative responsibilities
Weekly clinic responsibilities
Once-per month craniofacial clinic responsibilities
Wound care clinic exposure, if available
In-patient and emergency room consultation coverage
Direct daily interaction with surgical staff
Learn the basics of wound healing and wound care
Master the basics of simple and complex wound closure to include skin graft and local or remote tissue flaps

Develop an understanding of the following didactic topics:

Suture & needle material science
Simple and complex wound closure
Skin grafting
Negative pressure wound therapy
Local and remote tissue flap wound coverage
Craniofacial reconstruction including cleft lip and palate
Breast reconstruction
Cosmetic surgery basics

Didactics

End-of-rotation presentation on a "hot topic" in plastic surgery
Weekly assigned readings

Rotation Sites

United States Navy

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
Portsmouth, VA
Rotation Coordinator: CDR (Dr.) Tamara Kemp
tamara.l.kemp2.mil@mail.mil

Naval Medical Center San Diego
San Diego, CA
Rotation Coordinator: CPT (Dr.) Eamon B. O'Reilly
eamon.b.oreilly.mil@mail.mil

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, MD
Rotation Coordinator: LTC (Dr.) Paul Hwang
paul.f.hwang.mil@mail.mil

United States Air Force

Brooke Army Medical Center
San Antonio, TX
Rotation Coordinator: LTC (Dr.) Megan Burgess
megan.m.burgess3.mil@mail.mil

Nellis Air Force Base Medical Center
Las Vegas, NV
Rotation Coordinator: LTC (Dr.) Ben Monson
benjamin.monson2.mil@mail.mil

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Bethesda, MD
Rotation Coordinator: LTC Paul Hwang
paul.f.hwang.mil@mail.mil

Wright-Patterson Medical Center
Dayton, OH
Rotation Coordinator: LTC (Dr.) Justin Fox
justin.p.fox.mil@mail.mil

United States Army

Brooke Army Medical Center
San Antonio, TX
Rotation Coordinator: LTC (Dr.) Megan Burgess
megan.m.burgess3.mil@mail.mil

Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center
Augusta, GA
Rotation Coordinator: Dr. Juan Lopez
juan.m.lopez1.civ@mail.mil

Madigan Army Medical Center
Tacoma, WA
Rotation Coordinator: LTC (Dr.) Jennifer Sabino
jennifer.m.sabino.mil@mail.mil

Tripler Army Medical Center
Honolulu, HI
Rotation Coordinator: LTC (Dr.) Terri Carlson
terri.l.carlson.mil@mail.mil