Research training

Mayo Clinic offers outstanding opportunities to conduct basic scientific or clinical research. Scholarly activity is recognized as an integral part of the Plastic Surgery Integrated Residency for the faculty and residents. There is a dedicated research rotation in the PGY-3 year.

In addition to the dedicated research rotations, you will attend a quarterly Plastic Surgery Research Meeting, where residents present the progress of their ongoing research projects, which facilitates collaborative efforts between the faculty and residents. The fundamentals of generating research, including statistics, ethical principles, and the preparation of presentations and manuscripts, are reviewed with the faculty and residents.

You are expected to participate in at least one research project annually with a faculty mentor, leading to a peer-reviewed publication. Oral presentations at local, national, or international meetings are encouraged, with time away from the practice per Mayo Clinic policy.

Residents participate in the yearly Quality Improvement Derby where they team with advanced practice providers and nurses in the division to identify and carry out quality improvement projects. The projects are presented in May, with recognition given to the best project.

Additional training

Residents participate in quarterly hands-on sessions provided in the state-of-the-art J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver Simulation Center. These will be equally divided between microsurgical skills labs and anatomic cadaver dissections.

You will attend the Plastic Surgery Intern Boot Camp during the first year of training, the three-day American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons Basic Maxillofacial Principles and Techniques course in the second year of training, and the Duke Flap Course during the third year of training. These courses are off-site and provided free of charge.