Applicant Resources
***We are able to offer Resident/Fellowship positions to individuals who are or will be on a J-1 Visa***
Once the Resident/Fellow matches with our program, their name and contact information are sent to the Office of International Affairs. At that point, an Advisor is assigned to the Fellow and they work directly with the International Affairs Advisor to complete the necessary VISA paperwork.
This process can take various amounts of time, depending on where the potential Fellow is currently and what their Visa status is at this time. There are normally a few that do not get through the process by the time the program starts (06/24/2025 or 07/01/2025), and they have to start late, which means their end date is also extended. These individuals are actually sponsored by the ECFMG and not by UTH directly. The International Advisor works with the Fellow and acts as a liaison between the Fellow and ECFMG.
Visa processes normally take at least 3 months and possibly longer, to complete. Especially for physician trainees, because ECFMG is dealing with programs all over the United States.
Our Advisors in the International Office are very well-versed in this process since they do it every year.
Independent Resident Application Process
We are currently accepting applications for Independent Plastic Surgery Residency from August 31st through December 31, 2024, for a start date of July 1, 2025.
Candidates must be registered with The Plastic Surgery Residency Matching Program SFMatch. Applications are to be submitted through the Central Application Service (CAS).
Interviews are held between February 24th and 28th, 2025.
** Applications are reviewed daily; please do not call to check the status of your application. Should you be selected to interview, we will notify you by email.
Application Process
Central Application Service (CAS)
About CAS
The Central Application Service (CAS) distributes applications to residency and fellowship training programs online. Applicants are required fill out a CAS application form, provide a set of required documents, and select programs for distribution. A separate fee is required for CAS distributions. Applicants are required to have the following documents/completed steps in order to apply to programs:
- Complete and submit online program distribution list;
- Complete and submit online CAS application form;
- Medical School Transcript(s);
- USMLE or equivalent transcripts/score reports;
- Copy of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc.‘s Resident Registration and Evaluation of Training Form Confirmation Letter;
- Three letters of reference using the mandatory Plastic Surgery Residency Recommendation Forms*
- “Physician Information Profile” requested from Federal Credentials Verification Service (FCVS);
- ECFMG Certificate (applicable to International Graduates);
*Letter writers are required to use the Plastic Surgery Recommendation form in place of a standard letter.
The form can be downloaded at:
acaplasticsurgeons.org/multimedia/files/Letter-of-Recommendation-Form.pdf
Applicants are strongly advised to include the following OPTIONAL documents (if applicable):
- AOA Election letter (Only applicable to US applicants)
- Foreign Specialty Program Certificate
Please refer to the CAS Instruction manual for additional documents accepted by CAS.
Additional information can be found in the CAS instruction manual for applicants: Download CAS Instructions.
Distribution Fees
CAS Application distribution fees increase progressively according to the number of applications chosen.
CAS initial distribution list fees are as follows:
| # of CAS Distributions | Fees |
|---|---|
| 1 – 10 | $60 total |
| 11 – 20 | $10 per program |
| 21 – 30 | $15 per program |
| 31 -40 | $20 per program |
| 41 or more | $35 per program |
Supplemental distributions cost $35 per program regardless of how many programs you have selected on your initial distribution. All distribution fees can be paid by a Visa or a MasterCard.
Please read the information on this website and contact SF Match if you need assistance.