For students interested in the field of cosmetic surgery, there are a wide variety of medical and surgical programs from which to choose. Prospective students may want to examine a cosmetic surgery school's college of medicine after they have earned their degree, and then explore a school's plastic surgery division to get the most information.
Top 10 Cosmetic Surgery Schools
The following schools offer residency programs in plastic/cosmetic surgery for those who have already achieved a medical degree.
| College/University | Location | Institution Type | Program Offered* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | Cambridge, MA | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency |
| University of California San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | 4-year, Public | Residency |
| University of Pennsylvania, Perelman | Philadelphia, PA | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency |
| Washington University in St. Louis | Saint Louis, MO | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency |
| Columbia University | New York, NY | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency |
| Duke University | Durham, NC | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | Residency |
| University of Chicago, Pritzker | Chicago, IL | 4-year, Private, not-for-profit | Residency |
Source: *School Websites
School Selection Criteria
Students pursuing the field of cosmetic surgery should keep in mind these considerations.
- Students can narrow their search by finding universities that offer programs in their particular field of interest such as reconstructive surgery, facial trauma surgery or pediatric cosmetic surgery.
- Future cosmetic surgeons may want to look for a school that offers heavy hospital rotations and clinical research programs to help build a surgical resident's knowledge and experience.
- Some programs will require experienced residents to supervise first-year students and attend surgical teaching conferences. Interested students should consider this extra responsibility before committing to a program.
- Since cosmetic surgery schools and universities admit a small number of students into residency and fellow programs each year, students may need to use the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) to help them find available cosmetic surgery residencies.
Cosmetic surgery residencies are available from a number of colleges for the prospective surgeon. Look into the hospital you wish to work at and what sub-specialties of plastic surgery you may engage in
