Fellows rotate through all three participating hospitals. During the first year of training, the fellows spend three months on Adult Plastic Surgery, two months on Pediatric, three months on Hand, and one month each on the following rotations: Microsurgery, Anesthesia/Dermatology, and Burns. The second year fellows spend six months on Adult Plastic Surgery, two months on Pediatrics, two months on Hand, one month Aesthetic and one month on Occuloplastic. The third year fellows spend ten months on Adult Plastic Surgery and two months on Pediatrics.
During this three year period of training, the fellow is exposed to all areas within the scope of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Summa Health System has a large volume of reconstructive, head and neck and trauma surgery.
The Children’s Medical Center is a regional pediatric center for Northeastern Ohio, extending from Akron to the southeastern portion of the state. Through this rotation, the Fellows are exposed to a large volume of congenital anomalies and pediatric procedures, including craniofacial surgery, performed at Children’s Hospital. The progression of resident responsibility depends on their individual talents and aptitudes. Each year the resident is expected to take a greater role in patient management and to perform more surgery as the primary surgeon, eventually acting as an independent operator.