Medical Student Electives

The curriculum for senior medical students on the plastic surgery service provides a broad exposure to the specialty and UC Davis integrated plastic surgery residency. The rotation takes place at UC Davis Medical Center and UC Davis Children’s Hospital, and covers many facets of plastic surgery, including:

• Craniofacial Surgery and Cleft Surgery
• Maxillofacial Trauma
• Pediatric Plastic Surgery
• Microsurgery and Lymphedema Surgery
• Breast Reconstruction
• Trunk and Lower Extremity Reconstruction
• Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
• Peripheral Nerve Surgery
• Aesthetic Surgery
• Body Contouring and Liposuction
• Burn Reconstruction

In addition to a hands-on clinical experience, students will also participate in any resident didactics, which may include:

• Weekly indications conference and didactic lecture
• Journal club
• Visiting professors
• Cadaver labs

UC Davis School of Medicine students enroll through the eFlight system. https://eflight.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/

Students from other US or Canadian medical schools may apply through the Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS), a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/vsas/

Additional information for visiting students (including policies, fees, and other useful links is available from the Registrar’s Office. http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mdprogram/registrar/visiting.html

We welcome students at any time of year, though the period from May to October tends to be most popular. Students are encouraged to apply early to allow for flexibility in scheduling. To maximize the learning experience, we limit the number of students to two per rotation.

A grade of Honors/Pass/Fail will be issued after completion of the course and this grade is provided to your school, whether it is UC Davis School of Medicine or another medical school. Specific grading criteria can be found in the General Catalog. Additionally, you may ask faculty members with whom you interact during the rotating to evaluate you using the standardized plastic surgery letter of recommendation, which is provided to ERAS at your request. Please note that while students who excel will be invited to interview for our integrated plastic surgery residency, completing the acting internship is not a substitution for an interview, nor does it guarantee one.

UC Davis School of Medicine third year students may choose to allocate some of their elective time to exploring plastic surgery. The third-year elective is intended to be an opportunity for those who are curious about our specialty to gain exposure to the field in a more relaxed setting than the acting internship. During the elective, students will have an opportunity to shadow in the operating room and clinics, as well as meet one-on-one with faculty if desired. Grading is Pass/Fail, consistent with medical school policy.

For inquiries regarding the third-year elective please contact the plastic surgery administrative assistant, Kimberly Russell, at kprussell@ucdavis.edu.

For inquiries regarding the fourth-year acting internship, please contact the fourth-year Medical Student Coordinator, Thanh Huynh (tvhhuynh@udavis.edu) or 916-734-2726.