Plastic surgery resources for med students
Mentorship programs, externships, away-rotation support, and remote/short-term research, with an emphasis on options for students without a home plastic surgery program. Deadlines shift year to year; always confirm on the program's own page.
1:1 mentorship for medical students at any stage, from Step 1 through the residency application. Connects students with research opportunities at their mentor's institution. Open to students in good standing at a U.S. medical school with an interest in plastic surgery.
Sister program to PRIME, focused on 1:1 mentorship for students interested in working with underserved populations and/or from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
Multi-institutional mentorship program built for students with limited existing access to mentorship. Published outcomes show strong gains in confidence and networking; the program's own data notes fewer participants gained direct research opportunities through it, so treat it as a networking/didactic resource rather than a research pipeline.
National nonprofit fostering mentorship, collaboration, and fellowship among Black, African American, and other underrepresented students and trainees in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Founded 2019. Membership is open to medical and undergraduate students planning to apply into PRS. Runs the Office Hours Mentorship Program (recurring member events, session archive at garnessociety.org/membership-opportunities). See also PREP and the PSTM travel scholarships below.
Founded 2020 to foster mentorship, education, and career development for women of color across all stages of plastic surgery training, medical students included. Offers virtual mentorship pairings plus in-person meetings at national plastic surgery conferences.
A 501(c)(3) mentorship community for Black women in plastic surgery and dermatology, open to students exploring either field. Connects mentees with mentors across training stages for guidance and networking. Their bwpsd.org site is currently down, so reach them through their LinkedIn page.
Three tracks for MD/DO medical students interested in aesthetic plastic surgery and research; one track is specifically for students attending a school without a home plastic surgery program, and another (Cooperative Research Externship) is open to students at any school and runs entirely online with no travel required. Matching typically occurs each fall. Sign-up for the 2026 to 2027 cycle was open through August 15, 2026.
Scholarship supporting a rising MS4 sub-internship at UCSD. For the 2026 cycle, applications were due March 20, 2026, with acceptances sent by April 30, 2026. Worth checking their page for next year's timeline.
Created in partnership with HBCU medical schools and open more broadly to any student without a home plastic surgery program. Two awards per year, one HBCU recipient and one from any non-home-program school. Includes a financial stipend for travel/room and board, VSAS fee reimbursement, a faculty/resident mentor pairing, and an option for a letter of recommendation.
A $500 stipend toward housing, travel, and meals for a 4-week plastic surgery sub-internship rotating at UPMC hospitals. Apply with an updated CV and one letter of recommendation from a Chair, PD, APD, or faculty mentor; deadline is typically late March.
Annual two-day national program for rising MS4s preparing for sub-internships and the residency application: suture lab, CV and personal statement reviews, small-group sessions on topics like breast reconstruction and craniofacial surgery, and mentorship/networking access for students who might not otherwise engage with the plastic surgery community.
Six scholarships (open to Garnes Society members) covering travel, lodging, and registration costs to attend Plastic Surgery The Meeting, ASPS's annual conference and a networking and mentorship opportunity in its own right.
Ongoing remote clinical outcomes research positions for motivated medical students, with projects on topics like health disparities, leadership, and medical student education. Applications typically open in early September and close in early October.
Eight-week summer research program open to students outside NYU, in basic science or clinical research with faculty and postdoctoral mentorship. Requires a presentation at Plastic Surgery Grand Rounds; strong students can earn abstract/paper authorship. For the 2026 cycle, the application opened January 5, 2026 and closed February 15, 2026. This year's cycle has closed, but it's worth watching for the 2027 dates.
Sourced from each program's official page. Details like deadlines and eligibility change year to year, so verify directly with the program before relying on anything here.