Plastic surgery resources for med students

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For Authors

Pick a target journal and submit: impact factor, open-access fees, review speed where the publisher reports it, and the official author guidelines.

Ranked by impact factor

Highest first, journals that don’t publish an impact factor last. Impact factor is one signal, not the only one. Fit and turnaround matter just as much for a first paper.

  • 01

    JAMA Surgery

    American Medical Association

    15.6IF · journal site
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $6,000 USD
    Review speed
    11 days median → first decision · 41 days with review
    Submission system
    JAMA Network submission system

    Acceptance rate 9%, aspirational. No standalone case-report type, though case series are accepted. Original investigation 3,000 words; research letter 800; viewpoint 1,200. The free route still gives free access 12 months post-publication plus PMC deposit.

    Author guidelines
  • 02

    Advances in Wound Care

    Mary Ann Liebert (Sage)

    5.7IF · journal site
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA (Sage Choice)
    Submission system
    ScholarOne

    A poor student fit despite the high impact factor: no case-report type and several formats are invited-only. Comprehensive invited reviews 5,000–7,500 words / ≤150 refs; critical reviews 3,000–4,000; letters 500. Print colour charged separately from any OA fee.

    Author guidelines
  • 03

    Wound Repair and Regeneration

    Wiley / Wound Healing Society

    4.3IF · 2025
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Review speed
    14 days median → first decision (2025)
    Submission system
    Wiley Research Exchange

    Explicitly refuses case reports: "WRR does not publish case studies or case series." Originals ≤20 double-spaced pages, ≤60 refs; brief communications 1,500 words; systematic reviews 8,000 with PRISMA. Authors must suggest three reviewers. 2025 acceptance rate 15%.

    Author guidelines
  • 04

    Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ)

    Oxford University Press / The Aesthetic Society

    4.2IF · 2025
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $5,881 USD
    Submission system
    ScholarOne

    Case reports not among accepted article types. Society members get 25% off the OA fee. Companion OA journal: ASJ Open Forum.

    Author guidelines
  • 05

    Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS)

    Wolters Kluwer / American Society of Plastic Surgeons

    3.6IF · journal site, 2026-07
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $3,997 USD
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    Does NOT accept case reports. Original articles capped at 3,000 words; systematic reviews with <10 studies rejected without review. Rejected papers can cascade automatically to PRS Global Open.

    Author guidelines
  • 06

    Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

    Springer / ISAPS

    2.7IF · 2025
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $5,090 USD
    Review speed
    Median 32 days to first decision (publisher metrics)
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    "The Blue Journal," the ISAPS society journal.

    Author guidelines
  • 07

    Burns

    Elsevier / International Society for Burn Injuries

    2.6IF · journal site
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $3,570 USD
    Review speed
    63 days submission → decision after review · 131 days → acceptance
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    Case reports are NOT an accepted article type. Correspondence is capped at 5 refs and the guide warns most submitted letters are rejected. The subscription route is free. Single-anonymized review; Elsevier transfer-service cascade.

    Author guidelines
  • 08

    Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (JPRAS)

    Elsevier / BAPRAS

    2.4IF · journal site
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $3,470 USD
    Review speed
    79 days submission → acceptance (publisher insights)
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    Case reports and short reports NO LONGER accepted, explicitly redirected to JPRAS Open. Original research max 3,000 words / 40 references.

    Author guidelines
  • 09

    Journal of Hand Surgery (American)

    Elsevier / ASSH

    2.4IF · journal site
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $3,670 USD
    Review speed
    196 days submission → acceptance (publisher insights)
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    Case reports not covered; companion OA venue is JHS Global Online. Double-anonymized review; slowest published timeline of this set. 25% ASSH member discount on the OA fee from Jan 2026.

    Author guidelines
  • 10

    Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery

    Thieme

    2.3IF · journal site
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $3,620 USD
    Submission system
    ScholarOne

    Case reports NOT accepted, redirected to the companion JRM Open as short reports. Double-blind review; no charges for colour art.

    Author guidelines
  • 11

    Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum

    Oxford University Press / The Aesthetic Society

    2.3IF · 2025
    Access model
    Fully open access
    Open-access fee
    $1,603 USD
    Submission system
    ScholarOne

    ACCEPTS case reports at a reduced $1,603 APC (originals/reviews $3,204); letters, editorials and commentaries are free. Case reports need a 30–60 second video abstract. 25% Aesthetic Society member discount; waivers for low- and middle-income countries. Companion OA journal to ASJ.

    Author guidelines
  • 12

    Journal of Surgical Education

    Elsevier / Association of Program Directors in Surgery

    2.2IF · journal site
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $3,790 USD
    Review speed
    10 days → first decision · 100 days → acceptance
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    Surgical-education research only, and the natural home for a paper about a teaching tool or curriculum. Double-anonymized review hides author identity from reviewers, which helps students without a big-name affiliation. Subscription track is free.

    Author guidelines
  • 13

    PRS Global Open

    Wolters Kluwer / American Society of Plastic Surgeons

    1.9IF · journal site, 2026-07
    Access model
    Fully open access
    Open-access fee
    $2,765 USD
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    Accepts case reports at a separate $1,299 APC tier (original articles $2,765; letters $924). Receives cascaded transfers from PRS; authors retain copyright.

    Author guidelines
  • 14

    Journal of Burn Care & Research

    Oxford University Press / American Burn Association

    1.9IF · 2025
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Review speed
    27 days median → first decision · 39 days → final decision (2025)
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    ACCEPTS case reports: ≤2,000 words, ≤25 refs, ≤3 figures/tables, no abstract. Short communications 1,500 words; letters 300. No submission fee; ABA members may get 20% off OA charges. Double-anonymized. Accepted abstracts publish as a JBCR supplement, an indexed, citable line.

    Author guidelines
  • 15

    JPRAS Open

    Elsevier / BAPRAS

    1.8IF · journal site
    Access model
    Fully open access
    Open-access fee
    $1,920 USD
    Review speed
    33 days to post-review decision · 92 days to acceptance (publisher insights)
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    Dedicated to case reports, short communications, and full-length articles: the most student-friendly venue of the set.

    Author guidelines
  • 16

    Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine

    Mary Ann Liebert (Sage) / AAFPRS

    1.8IF · journal site
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA (Sage Choice)
    Submission system
    Sage Track (ScholarOne)

    The successor to JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, which ceased in 2020 when AAFPRS moved its official journal off the JAMA Network. No case-report type; the closest is "Clinical Challenge" (case ≤250 words, discussion 500–600, ≤10 refs, ≤3 authors). No fees to submit or publish. Print colour costs extra.

    Author guidelines
  • 17

    Journal of Surgical Research

    Elsevier / Association for Academic Surgery

    1.6IF · journal site
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $3,410 USD
    Review speed
    16 days → first decision · 126 days → acceptance
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    A realistic student venue and the AAS journal, the same society behind the Academic Surgical Congress. No case-report type is defined (the guide is silent rather than refusing; case reports appear only in its consent policy). Subscription track is free. Single-anonymized.

    Author guidelines
  • 18

    Microsurgery

    Wiley

    1.5IF · 2025
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $3,970 USD
    Review speed
    Median 24 days to first decision · 162 days to acceptance · 34% acceptance rate (2025, publisher metrics)
    Submission system
    Wiley Research Exchange

    Accepts case reports (rejected ones offered transfer to Clinical Case Reports). Free-format submission; publishes its acceptance rate.

    Author guidelines
  • 19

    The Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal

    Sage / American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association

    1.3IF · publisher doc (5-yr: 1.7)
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA (Sage Choice)
    Submission system
    Sage Track (ScholarOne)

    The best student case-report fit in craniofacial. Case/clinical reports: 4,000 words, ≤100-word unstructured abstract, ≤6 tables/figures. No fees to submit or publish. Double-anonymized; EQUATOR checklist required and unregistered trials are not considered.

    Author guidelines
  • 20

    Cureus Journal of Medical Science

    Cureus (Springer Nature)

    1.3IF · journal site
    Access model
    Fully open access
    Review speed
    ~29 days median to publication (publisher figure)
    Submission system
    Cureus submission system

    No APC, but not free. Cureus charges no article processing fee; instead a variable "Preferred Editing" fee (~$385, capped $1,300) hits submissions that miss its formatting/language bar, and by their own numbers only about a third of accepted articles avoid it. All review articles require it. Accepts case reports; peer-reviewed but low-prestige, a real option for a first paper, not a CV centrepiece.

    Author guidelines
  • 21

    Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction

    MDPI / AO Craniomaxillofacial Surgery

    1IF · 2025
    Access model
    Fully open access
    Review speed
    ~29 days median → first decision (2026)

    Moved from Sage to MDPI in January 2025; the old Sage submission site no longer accepts anything. Case reports are not a listed type, but scope says other types "will be considered". No maximum length. APC is published only in Swiss francs (CHF 1,500; AO CMF members CHF 900), so no USD figure is shown here. Indexed ESCI, not SCIE.

    Author guidelines
  • 22

    European Journal of Plastic Surgery

    Springer

    0.9IF · 2025
    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Open-access fee
    $4,190 USD
    Review speed
    9 days median → first decision (publisher figure)
    Submission system
    Springer Nature submission system

    NOT PubMed-indexed; the journal says so itself ("has not yet been accepted for indexing in PubMed"). For an ERAS-facing publication that is close to disqualifying, however fast the 9-day first decision looks. Case reports are not in the accepted list. Originals ≤3,000 words. Meta-analyses need ≥10 Level I–II studies. Double-blind since 2021.

    Author guidelines
  • 23

    Annals of Plastic Surgery

    Wolters Kluwer

    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    Charges a $100 non-refundable SUBMISSION fee on unsolicited scientific articles. OA fee not published (Wolters Kluwer price list).

    Author guidelines
  • 24

    Journal of Craniofacial Surgery

    Wolters Kluwer

    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    Charges a $100 non-refundable SUBMISSION fee on all categories.

    Author guidelines
  • 25

    Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery Open

    Thieme

    Access model
    Fully open access
    Open-access fee
    $3,355 USD
    Submission system
    ScholarOne

    The OA companion to JRM, and where the case reports JRM refuses actually land. Case report abstract ≤250 words, ≤3 keywords, no stated body limit. Short reports ≤1,000 words / ≤10 refs / ≤4 figures. Single-blinded review (the parent journal is double-blinded). No impact factor displayed by Thieme.

    Author guidelines
  • 26

    Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume)

    Sage

    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA (Sage Choice)
    Submission system
    Sage Track (ScholarOne)

    Case reports accepted ONLY as short reports: ≤1,050 words (reduced 200 per figure/table), abstract ≤40 words, ≤4 refs. No fees to submit or publish. Double-anonymized; British spelling; online-only. Their page still shows legacy Editorial Manager links alongside Sage Track instructions, so follow Sage Track.

    Author guidelines
  • 27

    HAND

    Sage / American Association for Hand Surgery

    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA (Sage Choice)
    Submission system
    Sage Track (ScholarOne)

    Accepts case reports but flags "limited acceptance": ≤2,000 words, handled by the Editor-in-Chief, and due to very low acceptance rates they may get fewer than two reviews; accepted ones publish online only. Originals 3,500 words / ≤40 refs. No fees. Double-anonymized; author-suggested reviewers not accepted.

    Author guidelines
  • 28

    Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online

    Elsevier / ASSH

    Access model
    Fully open access
    Open-access fee
    $3,000 USD
    Review speed
    11 days submission → first decision · 43 days → acceptance
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    ACCEPTS case reports, but "a case report must have extraordinary teaching value": Introduction/Case Report/Discussion, under 1,500 words, abstract ≤150 words, ≤10 refs. $3,000 all types, 25% ASSH member discount from Jan 2026, automatic Research4Life waivers. Elsevier publishes only a CiteScore for this title, no impact factor.

    Author guidelines
  • 29

    Plastic Surgery

    Sage / Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons

    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA (Sage Choice)
    Submission system
    Sage Track (ScholarOne)

    Case reports are explicitly welcome; it needs an informative summary up to 150 words rather than a structured abstract, and no overall word limit is stated. No fees to submit or publish (OA fees, if chosen, exclude colour charges). Online-only from 2025. Double-anonymized. Official journal of the CSPS.

    Author guidelines
  • 30

    Annals of Surgery

    Wolters Kluwer

    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    "Case reports are rarely accepted," only inside a Brief Clinical Report presenting a breakthrough. Original study 3,000 words / ≤50 refs; review 5,000 / ≤75. Cascades to companion journal Annals of Surgery Open. Note their journals.lww.com author page now silently redirects to an Ovid homepage; this link is the working one.

    Author guidelines
  • 31

    Advances in Skin & Wound Care

    Wolters Kluwer

    Access model
    Subscription · optional OA
    Submission system
    Editorial Manager

    The best case-report fit among the wound journals: single case with a rare diagnosis or unusual outcome, ≤2,500 words, clinical images encouraged; case series also accepted. HARD REQUIREMENT: the manuscript must state in its body that written informed consent was provided, or it is returned immediately without review.

    Author guidelines

Impact factors as displayed by each journal/publisher (year shown per journal); fees and review metrics from official publisher pages, accessed July 16, 2026. Blank fields mean the journal does not publish that number. Always confirm on the journal site before submitting.