Selecting Plastic Surgery Residents: One Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Abstract

This is the season that all Plastic Surgery program directors greet with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Unquestionably, the selection of a new class of residents carries with it a certain excitement. Will this year’s crop meet or even exceed expectations? The element of dread concerns the process—the laborious and difficult task of analyzing each applicant’s strengths and, in the end, actually selecting the most appropriate individuals for a particular program. Since 1993, I have been involved in the selection of residents and I consider it one of my most important responsibilities. As would be expected, our program has had its share of outstanding residents along with a few we wish we could forget. Likewise, I am sure there are some residents who have less than fond memories of an attending surgeon with whom they have trained! The right match of a resident and program depends on a variety of factors, some of which are extremely difficult to evaluate through any application process, no matter how thorough. Each member of our team has developed his or her own criteria for evaluating candidates. Our …