Are you wondering how DO-friendly (or unfriendly) plastic surgery is as a US medical specialty? Do you want to know your chances of matching in this highly competitive field? Would you love to figure out what plastic surgery programs a DO would stand the best chance?
This article will give you the most up-to-date information on DO-friendly plastic surgery programs. Use this information to strategize on whether – and where – to apply to maximize your chances of matching as a DO in plastic surgery.
Summary:
- Plastic surgery is a competitive US medical specialty and there are mostly DO-unfriendly residency programs
- Most residency programs do not accept DOs, while few have a low rate of DO acceptance
- Most plastic surgery programs do not favor DOs, with only a small part filling spots with DOs (e.g. Cleveland Clinic Foundation Program and University of South Florida Morsani Program).
- See the full list of searchable residency programs to strategize where DOs have recently been the most welcome
- Be sure to bookmark this page – and sign up for the newsletter – to keep up with the latest residency and USMLE trends and maximize your chances of matching
Table of Contents
What’s the Difference between a DO and an MD?
Let’s start with some definitions.
DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- Licensed physicians trained in “whole body” wellness and treatment techniques in muscle and joint manipulation in addition to mainstream treatments.
Allopathy Vs. Osteopathy
In the US, there are two main branches of registered physicians:
- Allopathy: In this path, doctors train in modern, sometimes referred to as “Western”, medicine to treat symptoms and diseases. Doctors who train in this branch obtain licenses as Doctors of Medicine (MD)
- Osteopathy: These doctors have the same education and licensing exams as MDs but have additional training in muscle and joint manipulation. Doctors who train in Osteopathy have their licenses as Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and possess the same residency training and choices as MDs.
COMLEX vs. USMLE
To begin practicing medicine, DOs and MDs must take specific licensing exams:
- COMLEX-USA: This test assesses osteopathic medical knowledge in addition to allopathic medical knowledge in order to become licensed as a DO in the USA.
- USMLE: This test assesses allopathic medical knowledge and is required to become licensed as an MD.
NRMP: “National Resident Matching Program®”
- The organization that administers the “Match.” In the match, the NRMP pairs residency applicants with a residency program.
Note that prior to the 2020 Match, DOs had access to a “pool” of residencies reserved for which only they could match. The current system has merged DO and MD residencies so that every applicant has the same “chance” for matching in their chosen specialty.
For more on how to maximize your match chances and how the “Merge” has changed residency applications, see THE MATCH: Everything You Need to Maximize Your Residency Chances
Plastic Surgery Is Not DO-Friendly
By examining the percentage of residency spots that were filled by DOs in the 2022 Match, it is evident that the field of plastic surgery was not receptive to DO applicants, as there were zero matches in that specialty in 2022. 
Therefore, the match rate for DOs in plastic surgery (0%) shows the DOs have a low chance for acceptance in plastic surgery in the 2022 Match:
Here are the same data represented in a table:
| % DO Applied that Matched | % DO Unmatched | % Positions Filled by DO | Total Positions Offered | Total # All Applicants | DO Senior Matched | DO Senior Unmatched | DO Senior Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Radiation Oncology | 0% | 100% | 0% | 185 | 162 | |||
| **Plastic Surgery | 0% | 100% | 0% | 194 | 340 | |||
| Vascular Surgery | 8% | 92% | 1% | 84 | 143 | 1 | 12 | 13 |
| Neurological Surgery | 43% | 57% | 4% | 240 | 379 | 9 | 12 | 21 |
| Dermatology | 50% | 50% | 7% | 544 | 834 | 38 | 38 | 76 |
| Orthopaedic Surgery | 56% | 44% | 13% | 875 | 1,435 | 111 | 86 | 197 |
| Interventional Radiology | 59% | 41% | 12% | 169 | 226 | 20 | 14 | 34 |
| Otolaryngology | 60% | 40% | 6% | 361 | 556 | 21 | 14 | 35 |
| General Surgery | 62% | 38% | 12% | 1,622 | 2,400 | 200 | 125 | 325 |
| Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | 64% | 36% | 33% | 532 | 725 | 176 | 99 | 275 |
| Obstetrics and Gynecology | 65% | 35% | 16% | 1,503 | 2,044 | 241 | 130 | 371 |
| Anesthesiology | 66% | 34% | 16% | 1,969 | 2,560 | 313 | 161 | 474 |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 67% | 33% | 15% | 1,155 | 1,568 | 169 | 84 | 253 |
| Internal Medicine/Pediatrics | 74% | 26% | 9% | 392 | 458 | 37 | 13 | 50 |
| Psychiatry | 87% | 13% | 18% | 2,047 | 2,560 | 378 | 57 | 435 |
| Child Neurology | 89% | 11% | 9% | 188 | 182 | 17 | 2 | 19 |
| Neurology | 92% | 8% | 15% | 1,014 | 1,249 | 150 | 13 | 163 |
| Pathology | 93% | 7% | 12% | 631 | 827 | 75 | 6 | 81 |
| Internal Medicine | 94% | 6% | 15% | 9,809 | 11,598 | 1,503 | 93 | 1596 |
| Emergency Medicine | 95% | 5% | 25% | 2,921 | 2,813 | 736 | 38 | 774 |
| Family Medicine | 96% | 4% | 27% | 4,916 | 5,055 | 1,345 | 62 | 1407 |
| Pediatrics | 97% | 3% | 19% | 3,016 | 3,153 | 565 | 20 | 585 |
For more on the most competitive DO medical specialties, see this article.
The Most DO-Friendly Plastic Surgery Residency Programs
Although many plastic surgery programs may not be welcoming to DO applicants, there are some programs with a track record of accepting DOs. For example, four plastic surgery residencies in the most recent GME census had a DO percentage of 4% or higher. Three had DO rates of 8% or higher: Cleveland Clinic (9% DO), University of South Florida (8%), and Albany Medical Center Program (8%)
Here is a list of the most (and least) competitive plastic surgery programs for DOs. It includes data from the most recent National GME Census Survey. Percentages are of all residents in the program in 2020.
| Specialty: Plastic Surgery - Integrated | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACGME residency program code | Residency program name | City | State | % residents US DO graduates | % residents US MD graduates | Osteopathic Recognition | # applications submitted (2021 NRMP Main Match) | % applicants interviewed (2020 NRMP Main Match) | # of positions offered (2021 NRMP Main Match) | # of positions (2021 NRMP Main Match) |
| 3623800149 | Cleveland Clinic Foundation Program | Cleveland | OH | 9 | 87 | No | 286 | 13.4 | 4 | 4 |
| 3621112140 | University of South Florida Morsani Program | Tampa | FL | 8 | 88 | No | 261 | 16.6 | 4 | 4 |
| 3623521055 | Albany Medical Center Program | Albany | NY | 8 | 92 | No | 248 | 11.4 | 2 | 2 |
| 3625400147 | University of Washington Program | Seattle | WA | 4 | 96 | No | 271 | 12.4 | 5 | 5 |
| 3621200001 | Emory University School of Medicine Program | Atlanta | GA | 0 | 100 | No | 272 | 7.8 | 2 | 2 |
| 3621600146 | University of Chicago Program | Chicago | IL | 0 | 100 | No | 283 | 12.9 | 3 | 3 |
| 3623300151 | Rutgers Health/New Jersey Medical School Program | Newark | NJ | 0 | 94 | No | 266 | 10.1 | 2 | 2 |
| 3623500142 | Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Program | New Hyde Park | NY | 0 | 100 | No | 262 | 11 | 3 | 3 |
| 3623500145 | University of Rochester Program | Rochester | NY | 0 | 100 | No | 253 | 18.6 | 2 | 2 |
| 3623500154 | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Program | New York | NY | 0 | 100 | No | 274 | 11.2 | 3 | 3 |
| 3623500155 | NYU Grossman School of Medicine Program | New York | NY | 0 | 95 | No | 262 | 14 | 4 | 4 |
| 3623500157 | Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University Program | Bronx | NY | 0 | 100 | No | 266 | 13.1 | 2 | 2 |
| 3623600155 | Duke University Hospital Program | Durham | NC | 0 | 100 | No | 281 | 9.6 | 3 | 3 |
| 3623600156 | University of North Carolina Hospitals Program | Chapel Hill | NC | 0 | 92 | No | 274 | 13.1 | 2 | 2 |
| 3623611074 | Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program | Winston-Salem | NC | 0 | 100 | No | 262 | 14.7 | 3 | 3 |
| 3623821081 | Ohio State University Hospital Program | Columbus | OH | 0 | 100 | No | 271 | 10.3 | 4 | 4 |
| 3624000148 | Oregon Health & Science University Program | Portland | OR | 0 | 88 | No | 266 | 10.8 | 3 | 3 |
| 3624121087 | Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center Program | Hershey | PA | 0 | 100 | No | 262 | 10.8 | 2 | 2 |
| 3624300150 | Brown University Program | Providence | RI | 0 | 83 | No | 272 | 5.7 | 2 | 2 |
| 3624811098 | University of Texas Medical Branch Hospitals Program | Galveston | TX | 0 | 100 | No | 253 | 19.1 | 4 | 4 |
| 3624821097 | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Program | Dallas | TX | 0 | 96 | No | 266 | 13.8 | 5 | 5 |
| 3624821130 | Texas A&M College of Medicine-Scott and White Medical Center (Temple) Program | Temple | TX | 0 | 92 | No | 251 | 10.8 | 2 | 2 |
| 3624831099 | Baylor College of Medicine Program | Houston | TX | 0 | 89 | No | 279 | 9.3 | 3 | 3 |
| 3625100153 | Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program | Richmond | VA | 0 | 100 | No | 249 | 14.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 3625100154 | Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Program | Roanoke | VA | 0 | 83 | No | 241 | 12.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 3625111104 | University of Virginia Medical Center Program | Charlottesville | VA | 0 | 100 | No | 277 | 12.6 | 2 | 2 |
| 3625621109 | University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Program | Madison | WI | 0 | 95 | No | 268 | 19.2 | 3 | 3 |
| 3625621110 | Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals Program | Milwaukee | WI | 0 | 100 | No | 251 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| 3620100001 | University of Alabama Hospital Program | Birmingham | AL | No | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 3621100002 | Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science Program | Jacksonville | FL | No | 0 | |||||
| 3621100159 | University of Miami/Jackson Health System Program | Miami | FL | No | 265 | 12.5 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 3621600001 | University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago Program | Chicago | IL | No | ||||||
| 3621600147 | Loyola University Medical Center Program | Maywood | IL | No | 236 | 13.4 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3623200001 | Dartmouth-Hitchcock/Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital Program | Lebanon | NH | No | 239 | 10.2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3623300152 | Cooper Medical School of Rowan University/Cooper University Hospital Program | Camden | NJ | No | 234 | 9.9 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3623400001 | University of New Mexico School of Medicine Program | Albuquerque | NM | No | 212 | 7.2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3623500152 | New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia and Cornell Campus) Program | New York | NY | No | 270 | 11 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 3623500158 | Nassau University Medical Center/Stony Brook University Program | Garden City | NY | No | 236 | 12.8 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3623800144 | Wright State University Program | Dayton | OH | No | 205 | 12.8 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 3623821112 | University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program | Cincinnati | OH | No | 238 | 7.1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3624100159 | University of Pennsylvania Health System Program | Philadelphia | PA | No | 273 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 3624100161 | Lehigh Valley Health Network/University of South Florida College of Medicine Program | Allentown | PA | No | 223 | 8.9 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3624100162 | Geisinger Health System Program | Danville | PA | No | 212 | 9.2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3624121090 | UPMC Medical Education Program | Pittsburgh | PA | No | 281 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 3624500001 | Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine Program | Charleston | SC | No | 246 | 6.5 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3624500002 | Prisma Health/University of South Carolina SOM Columbia (Columbia) Program | Columbia | SC | No | 213 | 11.7 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3624700002 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program | Nashville | TN | No | 267 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 3624800001 | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Program | Houston | TX | No | ||||||
| 3624900001 | University of Utah Health Program | Salt Lake City | UT | No | 247 | 10.2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 3625100155 | Eastern Virginia Medical School Program | Norfolk | VA | No | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 3625500001 | West Virginia University School of Medicine Program | Morgantown | WV | No | 209 | 23.3 | 1 | 1 |
Concluding Thoughts
Plastic surgery is a competitive specialty for DOs. Thus, there are few places for DOs with only 4 residency programs accepting at least one DO. Moreover, DOs hoping to match in some of the most prestigious programs will find it more competitive as there are only a few programs accepting any DOs (eg., Cleveland Clinic and Albany Medical Center Program).
Are you despairing at your chances of matching into plastic surgery as a DO? Then, check out Never Forget, where you can learn how to master – not memorize – for the impressive USMLE scores to match at your dream residency. And if you’re looking for a residency advisor, look at our residency advisory services.
