University of Florida Program

Plastic Surgery Analyst Verified · Apr 20, 2023

University of Florida Program

University of Florida Program is a residency program specializing in Plastic Surgery, located in Gainesville, Florida, directed by Ellen Satteson, MD and coordinated by Kassandra Moench.. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (352) 273-8670. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

The University of Florida Plastic Surgery program is an academic, university-based division training residents through both integrated and independent (traditional fellowship) pathways at UF Health Shands Hospital and the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, offering full-spectrum exposure from congenital and craniofacial anomalies to microsurgery, hand, breast, and aesthetic/laser surgery. Case volumes substantially exceed national minimums across all categories, reflecting a high-volume, broad-scope clinical training model with no mandatory away rotations. The division emphasizes scholarly productivity as a graduation requirement (at least one scientific project) alongside annual quality assurance/patient safety participation, situated within a department carrying over $15 million in research funding, most of it NIH-supported. Graduate outcomes split between private aesthetic/reconstructive practice and academic or fellowship-directed paths (e.g., craniofacial fellowship), indicating a program that values technical breadth, academic engagement, and readiness for either community or subspecialty-focused careers.

Who it fits

A broadly trained general surgery or otolaryngology graduate (for the independent pathway) or a research-engaged medical student (for the integrated pathway) seeking high-volume, full-spectrum reconstructive and aesthetic exposure within an academic, NIH-funded environment while still targeting eventual private or subspecialty practice.

Research intensity

Moderate - a scholarly project is required for graduation and departmental NIH funding exists, but research is not positioned as the central identity of training.

Career orientation

Mixed - Community Practice, Fellowship

Important

International applicants must provide United States residency status verification, and those more than three years removed from a foreign medical school are described as unlikely to receive an interview.

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