Building the Plastic Surgeon-Scientist Pipeline: MD/PhD Recruitment and Representation in U.S. Plastic Surgery Residency Programs

Background: MD/PhD training aims to bridge scientific discovery with clinical innovation, yet the dual-degree structure often has limited surgical exposure during formative years. In plastic surgery, where research and reconstructive creativity are closely linked, this limited access may hinder recruitment of surgeon–scientists. Understanding the representation and visibility of plastic surgery mentors within MD/PhD training is critical to sustaining the academic pipeline. Methods: A list of U.S. plastic surgery residency programs and MD/PhD programs was obtained from the AAMC. Institutional websites were reviewed to identify MD/PhD residents and faculty. Of 89 plastic surgery programs, one lacked a faculty roster and was excluded, leaving 88 plastic surgery residency programs for analysis. MD/PhD program websites were also reviewed for affiliated plastic surgery faculty in administrative or leadership positions. Programs without MD/PhD-specific administrative, leadership, or faculty positions listed were excluded from the study. Results: Among 88 plastic surgery residency programs, 44 (50.0%) had at least one MD/PhD faculty member. Across all programs, MD/PhDs represented 70 of 1,164 total plastic surgery faculty (6.0%). However, of 1267 current plastic surgery residents, only 21 (1.7%) are MD/PhDs, with 19 (1.5%) graduating from a dual-degree program and 2 (0.2%) from a non-dual degree path. The presence of research year(s) did not correlate with MD/PhD recruitment (2/6 33.3% vs 19/82 23.2%, p=0.63). Programs with ≥1 MD/PhD faculty (18/44; 40.9%) were significantly more likely (p<0.001) to have an MD/PhD resident than programs without MD/PhD faculty (3/44; 6.8%). In contrast, none of the 121 surveyed MD/PhD training programs listed MD/PhD program faculty, administrative, or leadership positions that included plastic surgery faculty, highlighting a lack of exposure within the pre-residency phase. Conclusion: Plastic surgery remains underrepresented within MD/PhD program mentorship networks, despite the specialty’s strong alignment with translational science. Strengthening early exposure through targeted mentorship and faculty engagement within MD/PhD curricula and leadership may encourage greater pursuit of academic surgical careers in plastic surgery.