Research and Reconstruction Rotation

The PGY V resident research and reconstruction rotation will be split between Loma Linda Medical Center (LLU) and Riverside University Health System (RUHS). The resident will cover the RUHS clinic and operative day under the coordination of the RUHS PGY VI chief resident. They will be involved in the preoperative assessment of patients, operative and treatment plan formulation and execution, and will get extensive follow-up with their patients. They will be involved in seeing general and emergency plastic surgery consultations at RUHS.

The PGY V will also have his/her own resident clinic (Zirkle clinic) once a week in which they will see reconstructive patients. The resident will be involved extensively in the assessment of these patients and in the formulation of their operative plans. These plans will be run by the attending covering the clinic and the surgeries will be staffed with the attending's extensive supervision, The resident will then have a continuity clinic to see his/her patient post-operatively. The resident will discuss each patient with his/her attending, will take extensive photographs to demonstrate the course of care, and will be involved in coordinating surgical scheduling.

This rotation was also designated to allow the resident time to be involved with specific non-clinical duties and research. The VA resident will assist in the preparation of teaching conference schedules and will also be assigned to prepare regional cadaver dissections which will be used in anatomy teaching sessions for all the residents. The resident will have the opportunity to be involved in either ongoing basic science research or a clinical research project of his/her choosing. This rotation is offered in the PGY V year, rather than the PGY VI year, specifically so that the resident will have a more realistic opportunity to conceptually develop a research protocol and complete the project prior to graduation from the plastic surgery residency program. It is expected that this research project, completed during this rotation, will be submitted and presented at the annual senior resident conference.