an unconventional focus.

According to the 2017 NRMP match statistics, of the 28,849 open residency positions, only 159 were offered for integrated plastic surgery (0.55%). There were 446 applicants for this uber-competitive specialty, meaning a match rate of 36% (about one-third) for those who applied. Only 9 of the 159 positions (5.7%) were filled by individuals who were not seniors in U.S Medical schools, such as myself. If you consider all 54,110 individuals applying for a PGY-1 position, I had a 0.017% chance of matching into this field from a purely statistical standpoint.. but obviously there’s more to the story. The term “Plastic Surgery” is often used synonymously and erroneously with the term “Cosmetic Surgery,” characterized in the media as a specialization dedicated to elective procedures like the Brazilian butt lift and breast augmentation. The term “plastic surgery” is derived from the Greek “Plastikos,” meaning to mold or to shape. While our specialty does offer various cosmetic procedure