Program Peek: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

History

• Established as an independent plastic surgery residency in 1982, with residents covering two hospitals in New Jersey
• Transitioned to a fully integrated plastic surgery program in 2015, expanding to cover seven hospitals in 2023
• The first integrated plastic surgery program in the state of New Jersey

Program Leadership

• Edward Lee, MD, Division Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University Hospital in Newark, Program Director
• Richard Agag, MD, Division Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Site Director
• Jeremy Sinkin, MD, Associate Professor at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Assistant Program Director
• Ashley Ignatiuk, MD, MSc, Associate Professor at the University Hospital in Newark, Assistant Program Director

National Memberships

• Mokhtar Asaadi, MD, Member, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons
• Gregory Rauscher, MD, Vice President, New York Regional Plastic Surgery Society; Member, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
• Richard Kim, MD, Member, American Society for Surgery of the Hand
• Renata Weber, MD, Member, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Association of Hand Surgeons, American Society for Peripheral Nerve
• Robert Herbstman, MD, President, New Jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons

Clinical Experience

• Training sites include the University Hospital Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick, Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital, East Orange Veterans Affairs Hospital, Hackensack University Medical Center, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Saint Peter's University Hospital
• Two Level I trauma and replant centers for resident rotation
• Eight full-time academic faculty between University Hospital Newark and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick
• More than 30 affiliated faculty members who are private plastic surgeons at community hospitals
• 18 residents overall, three residents per year
• 50,000 major operations per year, 100 operations per week between all sites
• Six months of plastic surgery rotations each during first and second year, 12 months of plastic surgery rotations during years three, four, five and six
• Operative experience in plastic surgery starting intern year at the Veterans Affair Hospital as well as at University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson
• Residents start taking plastic surgery call starting intern year
• Off-service rotations during the first two years of residency include orthopedic hand surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oculoplastic surgery, orthopedic trauma surgery, dermatology, vascular surgery, surgical oncology and burn surgery at the only burn center in New Jersey
• Comprehensive training in microsurgery, aesthetic surgery, hand surgery, gender-affirmation surgery, traumatic reconstruction and craniofacial surgery
• Chief cosmetic clinic for sixth-year residents, where residents run their own clinic, perform injectables on their patients and operate on patients under attending supervision
• Training in both academic and private practice settings, residents have the opportunity to work with private-practice attendings starting in year three and continue throughout training

Educational Curriculum

• Wednesday morning education weekly, with two hours of didactics given by residents, attendings and guest lecturers
• Weekly indication conferences in which upcoming cases operative plans and reconstructive goals are discussed with patient pictures
• Monthly morbidity and mortality conferences at each site, discussing past cases and complications
• Yearly microsurgery skills lab
• Biannual cadaver dissections with varying surgical focuses including hand surgery, aesthetic face surgery and peripheral nerve surgery
• Journal Club dinner every three months to discuss new plastic surgery innovations and current research
• Weekly hand Journal Club with the orthopedic hand surgery team
• Yearly mock oral boards for all senior residents
• Mentorship with chosen faculty members at the end of intern year to discuss personal and professional goals
• Yearly Cooperman Barnabas Plastic Surgery Symposium with an aesthetic focus and visiting lecturers from around the world
• Coverage for University of Pennsylvania Flap Course for fourth-year residents

Research

• Attending mentorship for research projects focused on craniofacial, traumatic reconstruction, hand and peripheral nerve, aesthetic, microsurgery, basic science and quality improvement
• Monthly research meetings as a program to discuss current projects, upcoming conferences and deadlines
• Covered travel and accommodation expenses for conference presentations throughout the year for each resident
• Coverage for ASPS Senior Residents Conference for sixth-year residents

Resident Benefits

• Meal money at University Hospital in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center and Saint Peter's University Hospital
• 5x magnification loupes with attached headlights fitted for every resident at the end of intern year
• $600 per year academic allowance to be used on books, tablets, smartphones and equipment that can be carried over year-to-year
• Reimbursement for conference presentations, including travel and accommodations
• Covered parking at all hospitals
• Home call at all hospitals, giving all residents at least two golden weekends per month while on plastic surgery rotations
• Opportunity to join the Committee of Intern and Residents union
• Four weeks of vacation spread out in one-week intervals, one week off per quarter, per resident

Resident Camaraderie

• Resident birthday celebrations – most recently, karaoke night in New York
• Annual summer barbeque, hosted by one of the faculty or residents
• Annual Christmas party hosted by one of the residents
• Girls' brunch for female residents
• Happy hours when the clinical day finishes early
• RWJ End-of-Rotation Outing in which the faculty takes the team out for Top Golf, Bowling, Lounge, etc., to celebrate

Dr. Reed is PGY-2 at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.