Program Overview

The Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Integrated Residency Program trains medical school graduates to become expert physicians, skilled plastic surgeons, and leaders in health care.

Plastic surgery offers a unique variety of diverse and stimulating sub-specialties, including burn surgery, cleft and craniofacial plastic surgery, pediatric plastic surgery, wound healing, aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery, hand surgery, reconstruction after trauma or oncologic resection, aesthetic surgery of the face and body, oculoplastic surgery and microsurgery.

We offer an integrated plastic surgery training program with a schedule of rotations designed to maximize the resident learning experience. Residents gain experience in all plastic surgery sub-specialties through training at VCU Medical Center, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, as well as several community hospitals and clinics in the greater Richmond area. Fully accredited, we accept two new residents a year. How to apply


 

icon_instagramVCU Plastic Surgery Residents on IG

Message from the Program Director

From the director

Message from the Program Director

"The Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Division's Integrated Residency Program is looking for people who have a sincere passion for plastic surgery as well as for serving others. Unique among the surgical disciplines, we do not define ourselves by an organ system but rather by a set of tools effectively applied to meet the individualized needs of each patient. We care for the whole person, helping people to look, feel, and function at their very best."

Tae Chong, MD
Program Director

Why Choose VCU Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery?

"On match day before we opened our letters, the dean of student affairs told me and my fellow students 'the right program finds you.' Seven years later, I couldn't agree more.”

"VCU’s Integrated Plastics program gave me a great foundation of surgical knowledge and skill in a supportive and welcoming environment. During training you experience a broad variety of challenging cases, from head to toe, young and old for reconstruction or aesthetic enhancement. Being in a city that is situated off a major highway but within miles of rural farmland, the patient population is equally diverse. I felt fully prepared upon graduating, and confident in the training I received.

Outside the hospital, living in Richmond is an easy, yet exciting place to live with an abundance of outdoor activities, breweries, and festivals. There is something for everyone and I hope you consider a visit!"  Meet our Residents

Lauren Nigro, MD, HS '19
PRS Program Graduate

Clinical Experience

Our program exposes you to a wide variety of cases and consults, allowing for a rich and educational experience within the full scope of plastic and reconstructive surgery specialties.

As residents advance in surgical experience they are expected to develop their teaching skills and supervise at least one surgical intern and two-to-three medical students during each monthly rotation.

Senior residents are expected to lead and manage teams in addition to providing educational opportunities, guiding junior residents and rotating interns while on clinical duty, and during operative cases while mentoring on the principles of plastic surgery.

Residents are either on the plastic surgery service or on a service outside of plastic surgery at the direction of the Program Director. Outside rotations include anesthesia, dermatology, breast imaging, upper extremity orthopedics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology, vascular surgery and surgical oncology.

Clinical Experience

Hospitals

Rotations are dedicated to hand surgery, burn surgery, craniofacial/pediatric plastic surgery, cosmetic and general reconstructive procedures.

Research & Conferences

Research

Our Division has been actively involved in wound healing research for more than 30 years. All of our residents actively participate in research projects ranging from quality improvement studies to basic science to clinical studies in Plastic Surgery. Areas of interest include enhanced recovery, breast reconstruction, hand trauma, pediatric plastic surgery, and microsurgery. These projects are coordinated by our Director of Clinical Research, Paschalia Mountziaris, MD, PhD, and Lesley Coots, DNP, APRN-BC.

 

Conferences and Educational Activities

Residents have protected conference time every Monday and Thursday morning. We cover a wide range of plastic surgery topics to ensure residents build the necessary knowledge base to perform well on the annual in-service exam and on the plastic surgery boards.

Conferences are a mix of faculty lectures, M&M, research rounds, mock orals and microlabs. Other educational activities include visiting professors, cadaver labs, journal clubs, and more.

PGY1 residents are sent annually to the ACAPS/ASPS Plastic Surgery Boot Camp and Chief residents are sent to the Plastic Surgery the Meeting Senior Residents Conference.

Global Surgery

Through a partnership with World Pediatric Project, all residents will have an opportunity to accompany core faculty to the island of St Vincent in the Eastern Caribbean for exposure to the practice of plastic surgery in a low-resource setting.

Patients travel from eight different island nations for evaluation and may receive pediatric plastic surgery services at Milton Cato Hospital. Resident are also involved in the care of international patients with a variety of complex craniofacial needs who travel to Richmond for expert services.  Interested plastic surgery residents may earn a global clinical scholar distinction.

Global Surgery

VCU School of Medicine: The Residency Experience

Graduate Medical Education

How to apply

Resident candidates submit their applications through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) or the Plastic Surgery Common Application (PSCA). Applications must be submitted by October 15. We participate in the NRMP match and accept two new residents each year.

The PSCA is an ACAPS-supported, low-cost, plastic surgery-specific application crafted to both improve the residency application process and to decrease financial barriers to students.  We still accept ERAS, but using that platform is not required. Please apply through only one platform.

Requirements include:

  • Medical School Transcript
  • Three letters of recommendation from U.S. or Canadian physicians, including the chair of surgery or designee dean’s letter (or equivalent)
  • Dean’s Letter (Medical School Performance Evaluation)
  • Personal Statement
  • USMLE Report (Step 1 and Step 2, if applicable)
  • Current CV

In order to be ranked in the NRMP, all applicants must have passed USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 (CK) prior to February 1, 2024.

Visa and ECFMG:

  • Only J-1 visas are accepted by the VCU Health System; our institution does not sponsor H-1B Visas.
  • ECFMG Certification is required before acceptance into the program; however, an interview can be granted without a certificate.

Eligibility & Selection

All applicants must be licensed or eligible to practice medicine in Virginia. Applicants must be within four years of graduation from medical school and have three months of clearly documented direct patient care activity in the U.S. or Canada. U.S. and Canadian medical school clinical rotations and externships with direct patient care meet this requirement. Observerships and research fellowships do not qualify.

The division does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, age, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

 

Living in RVA

Richmond, Virginia, combines the amenities of a major metropolitan area with the charm and convenience of a small, historic city.

As an urban academic medical center, the VCU School of Medicine rests in the heart of Richmond, Virginia (RVA to those who live here). We pride ourselves on being active members of our community, with a commitment to engaging and investing in Richmond as learners, researchers, healers and citizens.

Living in RVA

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

VCU School of Medicine

As healers, scientists, faculty and learners in the VCU School of Medicine, we have a responsibility to condemn racism and all forms of discrimination. We will continue to own our history with transparency and humility, learning from the mistakes of the past and building on strengths of the present to create a more just and equitable future.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Faculty

Tae Woon Chong, MD

Tae Woon Chong, MD

Chair
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Residency Program Director

Tae Woon Chong, MD

Tae Woon Chong, MD

Chair
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Residency Program Director

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Address/Location:
VCU Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Box 980154
Richmond, VA. 23298-0154

Michael J. Feldman, MD

Michael J. Feldman, MD

Professor

Michael J. Feldman, MD

Michael J. Feldman, MD

Professor

Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Medical Director of the Evans-Haynes Burn Center
B.W. Haynes Jr. Professorship in General and Trauma Surgery
Interim Chair, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Phone: 804-828-3033

Address/Location:
VCU Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Box 980154
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0154

Ja Hea Gu, MD

Ja Hea Gu, MD

Assistant Professor

Ja Hea Gu, MD

Ja Hea Gu, MD

Assistant Professor

Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Email: jahea.gu@vcuhealth.org

Address/Location:
VCU Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Box 980154
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0154

View Faculty Expertise Profile

Ivette Klumb, MD

Ivette Klumb, MD

Assistant Professor

Ivette Klumb, MD

Ivette Klumb, MD

Assistant Professor

Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Assistant Professor of Surgery
Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center

Phone: 804-828-3033

Address/Location:
VCU Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Box 980154
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0154

Paschalia “Lina” Mountziaris, MD, PhD

Paschalia “Lina” Mountziaris, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Director of Clinical Research

Paschalia “Lina” Mountziaris, MD, PhD

Paschalia “Lina” Mountziaris, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Director of Clinical Research

Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Microsurgery
Breast Surgery
Aesthetic Surgery
Post Traumatic and Oncologic Reconstruction
Hand Surgery

Phone: 804-828-3033

Address/Location:
VCU Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Box 980154
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0154

Jennifer L. Rhodes, MD

Jennifer L. Rhodes, MD

Professor

Jennifer L. Rhodes, MD

Jennifer L. Rhodes, MD

Professor

Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Cleft, Craniofacial, and Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Medical Director, Center for Craniofacial Care, Children's Hospital of Richmond
Director Vascular Malformations Multidisciplinary Team

Phone: 804-828-3033

Address/Location:
VCU Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Box 980154
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0154

Prabhu Senthil-Kumar, MD

Prabhu Senthil-Kumar, MD

Assistant Professor

Prabhu Senthil-Kumar, MD

Prabhu Senthil-Kumar, MD

Assistant Professor

Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Email: prabhu.senthilkumar@vcuhealth.org

Address/Location:
VCU Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Box 980154
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0154

Alvin Wong, MD

Alvin Wong, MD

Assistant Professor

Alvin Wong, MD

Alvin Wong, MD

Assistant Professor

Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Assistant Professor of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Address/Location:
VCU Plastic Surgery
7301 Forest Avenue
Suite 100
Richmond, VA 23226

View Faculty Expertise Profile

Contact Us

Tae Woon Chong, MD
Program Director
tae.chong@vcuhealth.org

Lauren Simonetti
Residency Program Coordinator
lauren.simonetti1@vcuhealth.org
(804) 828-3039

 


Office Location
West Hospital
16th Floor, North Wing

Mailing address
Box 980154
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0154

Phone: (804) 828-3033
Fax: (804) 828-0489