Clinical Training and Rotations

The six-year integrated residency program is expanding from two to three residents per year. Training is centered at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, with diverse experiences across community, regional and international sites.

  • PGY-1: Plastic Surgery, ENT, MOHS, Transplant, Burn ICU, SICU, Trauma ICU, Vascular Surgery, Emergency General Surgery, Pediatrics
  • PGY-2: Plastic Surgery (including private practice), Research, Burn ICU, Surgical Oncology, SICU, Wound Care, Orthopedic Hand
  • PGY-3: Plastic Surgery (including Charlotte Atrium Health CMC), Research, Orthopedic Hand
  • PGY-4: Plastic Surgery, Private Practice, Research, Elective
  • PGY-5: Plastic Surgery (including Charlotte Atrium Health CMC), Elective, International Surgery Rotation in Ghent (Belgium), Oculoplastics (including VA)
  • PGY-6: Chief Resident year, alternating between aesthetic, outpatient and inpatient reconstructive services

Call and Coverage

Residents share hand trauma call with orthopedics and facial trauma call with otolaryngology. Trauma call encompasses half of the month (hand trauma, face trauma, hand/face burns, plastics call). The other half is plastics call and hand/face burns only. Lower-level residents are supervised by upper-levels and chiefs in a “buddy system”, with structured coverage that balances patient care and resident wellness. Call begins as an intern on select day consults and progresses with graduated autonomy each year. 

Benefits

Free parking in employee deck, swipe in with badge

Meals

  • On-call meal cards (stipend from GME $125.00 per month)
    • Ardmore cafeteria (6:30-10 am; 11 am-4 pm)
    • Chick Fil A (closes at 10 pm; Saturday 8 pm; Sunday closed) 
    • Subway (closes at 10 pm; Saturday and Sunday 8 pm)
    • Camino Bakery (6 am-5 pm; Saturday and Sunday closed) 
    • Food items provided by GME in the Resident Lounge for residents on night call

Salary & Benefits Package

Educational funds

  • PGY-1:  Loupes & Team swag (jacket, scrubs) 
  • PGY-2:  Headlight to attach to loupes
  • PGY-3:  iPad
  • PGY-4:  DSLR Camera
  • PGY-5:  Ghent Belgium rotation (Transportation & Housing)
  • PGY-6:  Meeting of choice ($3000 stipend); mission trip; diploma framing
  • Annually: Holiday textbook set
  • Travel to any meeting accepted for oral presentation ($3000 stipend per meeting)
  • AOCMF and comprehensive hand course

Facilities

A digital rendering of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Main Campus.
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center – Main Campus
  • The hub of our department, the majority of residency is spent at this location.
An aerial view of Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte.
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center – Charlotte
  • CMC Main is an 874-bed hospital located in the Dilworth neighborhood and is the flagship hospital for Atrium Health.
  • 4-month rotations as a PGY-3 and as PGY-5 for heavy microsurgical volume (~20 flaps per month)
A view of the outside of the Cloverdale Outpatient Surgery Center.
Cloverdale Outpatient Surgery Center
  • Outpatient surgery center located across the street from the Medical Center, allowing for easy access but in an outpatient, patient-centered setting
The front entrance to Wake Forest Cosmetic Surgery Center Vest Mill.
Wake Forest Cosmetic Surgery Center – Vest Mill
  • A private-practice environment for our surgeons and residents to perform the full breadth of aesthetic surgery, including facelifts, blepharoplasty, breast augmentation/mastopexy, abdominal and trunk contouring. 
The front entrance of Premier Surgery Center.
Premier Surgery Cente
  • Elective hand and general plastic surgery performed at our High Point location with a variety of faculty. 

Research Opportunities

Research is a cornerstone of our program, supported by rotations, mentorship, and institutional resources.

Structure

  • One-month rotations during PGY-2, 3, and 4
  • Optional professional development year between PGY-3 and 4

Resources

  • 9,000 sq. ft. of research facilities
  • Multiple MD/PhD faculty investigators
  • Dedicated research associates and clinical staff

Expectations

  • Annual poster presentation at Resident Research Day (PGY-2 through PGY-6)
  • Submission of at least one paper per year to a regional or national meeting
  • At least two peer-reviewed publications prior to graduation

Residents receive travel support for oral presentations at national and international meetings.

Operative Experience

Our program offers a high operative volume with no competing fellows.

  • Graduating chiefs average 4,000–5,500 index cases
  • Strengths include microsurgery, pediatric/craniofacial, oncologic and trauma reconstructive surgery, and breadth of hands-on operative exposure
  • Aesthetic surgery training includes rotations at Forsyth Plastic Surgery, Salem Plastic Surgery, HKB Charlotte, Triad Ocular and Facial Plastic Surgery, and an international experience in Ghent, Belgium. 

Resident Clinic Experience

  • Resident Clinic: Tuesdays and Fridays, all residents participate
  • Cleft and Craniofacial Clinics: Two to three times per month (PGY-3)
  • Injector Training Clinics: Thursday/Friday afternoon, once per quarter
  • PGY-2 through PGY-6: Minimum of 20 faculty-supervised clinic hours annually
  • Cosmetic Clinic: PGY-6 chief resident, every Friday

A color-coded pie chart denoting several different procedures done by patients.

International Outreach

International surgical outreach is a defining feature of our program. Over the past 25 years, 71 residents have participated in missions across Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. Each resident is expected to complete at least two international experiences during training (ACGME/ABPS-approved). These missions do not impact vacation or elective rotation time.

Program Outcomes

  • Accreditation: Certified through January 2027 (NAS)
  • Board Exam Success: 100% of graduates passed written boards; nearly all passed orals on the first attempt
  • Career Paths: Approximately 25% enter academic practice, 75% private practice

Why Wake Forest?

Wake Forest has a proud legacy of producing practice-ready plastic surgeons through:

  • Comprehensive, high-volume clinical training
  • Innovation in microsurgery, craniofacial, wound care, and aesthetic surgery
  • A strong, supportive, family-friendly culture
  • Strong institutional partnerships, including expansion in Charlotte
  • A deep commitment to research and international outreach