Program Overview
The MUSC Plastic Surgery Independent Program has run continuously since July 1, 1967. The residency program provides comprehensive training in all aspects of the specialty, including clinical and basic research. One 3-year position is available each year. In addition, a six-year Plastic Surgery Integrated residency program runs simultaneously with the Independent program, for a total of 9 trainees.
The Division of Plastic Surgery performs more than 600 inpatient and 1,400 outpatient cases per year. Residents rotate through a variety of clinical settings in five hospitals, including both academic and private practice environments. Five core faculty and several community physicians provide comprehensive training throughout all years of training.
All major aspects of the specialty are emphasized, including but not limited to the following:
- Breast Reconstruction
- Hand Surgery
- Craniofacial Surgery
- Body Contouring
- Cosmetic Surgery
- Maxillofacial Trauma
- Oncologic Reconstruction
- Trauma Reconstruction
- Cutaneous Malignancies
In addition, residents receive training in the following surgical specialty areas:
- Trauma Surgery
- Transplant Surgery
- Orthopedic Surgery
- ENT Surgery
- Dermatologic Surgery
- Pediatric Surgery
- Oral Maxilla Facial Surgery
- Surgical Critical Care
- Surgical Oncology
- Gastroenterology Surgery
- Vascular Surgery
Through cooperation of the Medical University of South Carolina administration, full-time, part-time and volunteer faculty, the MUSC Plastic Surgery Residency offers a broad-based experience in plastic surgery with exceptional strengths in micro-vascular free tissue transfer, hand surgery, aesthetic surgery and procedures, and reconstructive breast surgery.
The program is fully accredited by the ACGME and was granted continuing accreditation through 2025.
Research
Residents are expected to participate in research projects within the Division of Plastic Surgery and will submit at least one paper annually to a peer-reviewed journal.
Educational Activities
Plastic surgery residents participate in two weekly conferences and a monthly journal club and attend two major regional or national meetings each year.
Educational Leadership
Milton B. Armstrong, M.D.
Professor of Surgery
Program Director, Plastic Surgery Fellowship Program
Applying
The MUSC Plastic Surgery Independent Program accepts applications from PGY4 residents. Applications are submitted through the San Francisco Match via the online website. One individual is selected each year through this process. The 2019 Match is for the 2020 position, and so forth. Please refer to the San Francisco Match website to complete your application to the program.
The program begins taking applications around October each year, once applications have been reviewed invitations will be sent via Interview Broker and the interview date will be scheduled around mid-February or March each year. Each candidate will have personal interviews with the attendings and a chance to speak more informally with residents. On the night before the interview, an informal social event will be held for applicants and residents. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our residency coordinator, Stephanie Mackey at mackeys@musc.edu.
Stipend and Benefits
Policy: The following resident stipends are set for academic year July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025 and apply to all full-time, ACGME/ADA, medical/dental, specialty/sub-specialty residents contracted through the GME Office. Stipends will be reevaluated in the fall of each year. All residents will be notified if there are changes to the established stipend levels.
- PGY1: $61,010
- PGY2: $63,101
- PGY3: $65,351
- PGY4: $68,145
- PGY5: $71,081
- PGY6: $73,780
- PGY7: $76,853
- PGY8: $81,098
Benefits
- Leave: Annual, Sick, Maternity/Paternity, Bereavement, Leave of Absence, Military
- Insurance Coverage: Health, Life, Flexible Spending, Travel, Disability, Professional Liability
- Retirement
- Parking
- In-House On-Call Meals
- Employee Health
- MUSC Wellness Center Membership
- Lab Coats
- Student Loan Payment Postponement
- Travel Allotment
- MUSC Provided Mobile Devices
Clinical Experience
The resident rotations are divided into the following six services:
- MUSC 1: Dr. Armstrong (Hand, General Reconstructive, Aesthetic, Lower Extremity Reconstruction, Ortho, Oncology,VA)
- MUSC 2: Dr. Delaney (Breast Reconstruction, Hand General Reconstruction, Aesthetic)
- MUSC 3: Dr. Herrera (VA, Hand, General Reconstruction, Lower Extremity Reconstruction)
- MUSC 4: Dr. Tavana (VA, Hand, General Reconstruction, Urology Reconstruction)
- MUSC 5: Dr. Scomacao (MUSC) (Craniomaxillofacial, Breast General Reconstruction, Hand, Aesthetic)
- MUSC 6: Drs. Hochman (The Facial Surgery Center), O’Neill (O’Neill Plastic Surgery), Ulm (Crantford Costa Plastic Surgery), and Young (Palmetto Plastic Surgery)
- MUSC 7: Dr. Gabriel Klein (Microsurgery, Breast Reconstruction, Maxillofacial Trauma, General/Aesthetic Surgery)
Meet Our Residents
Ashish Patel, M.D. PGY8
Medical School: C.U. Shah Medical College, Surendra Nagar, India
Hometown: Surendra Nagar, India
Hobbies: Wood working, custom furniture design and engineering, landscape architecture
David Magno-Padron, M.D. PGY8
Medical School: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Hobbies: Basketball, weightlifting
Briana McLaughlin, M.D. PGY7
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Hobbies: Baking, making handmade earrings and crafts, crocheting, traveling
Kevin Butler, M.D. PGY6
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic - New York
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Hobbies: Snowboarding, Water Skiing, Football
Our Independent and Integrated Plastic Surgery Graduates
2023-2024
Donna Mullner, MD - Hand Fellowship at the University of Kentucky in Lexington
2022-2023
Sami Tarabishy, MD - Aesthetic Plastic Surgery fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH
2021-2022
Georgina Nichols, MD - Aesthetic Plastic Surgery fellowship, The Plastic Surgery Center-Sacramento, CA
Kiandra Scott, MD - Plastic surgeon at Lexington Medical Center, West Columbia, SC
2020-2021
Steven Hermiz, MD is a plastic surgeon at Covenant Healthcare in Saginaw, Michigan
Busayo Irojah, MD is a plastic surgeon at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, PA
2019-2020
Daniel Crane, M.D. is attending a one-year fellowship in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Sacramento California.
Zachary Young, M.D. joined a private practice in Little Rock, Arkansas.
2018-2019
Craig Moores, M.D. attended Yale for Hand Surgery Fellowship
John Simon, M.D. Ivey Simon is a plastic surgeon at Ivey Plastic Surgery in Kihei, Hawaii.
2016-2017
Vinay Gundlapalli, M.D., Private Practice, Vineland, NJ
Robinder Singh, M.D., Private Practice, Great Neck, NY
2015-2016
Tahira Prendergast, M.D., Private Practice, Columbus, GA
Jennifer Dixon Swartz, M.D., Private Practice, Charleston, SC
