The General Pediatric Plastic Surgery Research Fellowship in the Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Oral Surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is a 12-month fellowship (longer commitment is possible) dedicated to general pediatric plastic surgery clinical outcomes research with Dr. Cassandra Ligh. This new fellowship in its inaugural year offers one position per fiscal year (July 1-June 30). In this first year, applicants have the ability to start as early as January 2025. Those who are able to start earlier, are preferred.
Research fellow candidates are generally medical students, foreign medical graduates, or surgery residents who desire a US residency position in plastic surgery, yet any candidate with an interest in pediatric plastic surgery research and mentorship are encouraged to apply.
Brief description
The main highlight of the fellowship is the unique one-on-one career mentoring, emphasis on clinical education and exposure to a broad range of research topics and opportunities. The research fellow will have the opportunity to spend time shadowing Dr. Ligh in clinic and operating room to expand their knowledge base of plastic surgery topics and deepen their understanding of the clinical research concepts. Dr. Ligh is committed to educational development and her fellow will have the opportunity to attend the weekly residency educational conferences, as well as work one-on-one with her on basic suturing skill preparation throughout their commitment.
As the Director of the Pediatric and Adolescent Breast and Chest Clinic, Dr. Ligh has a particular interest in breast/chest projects, yet her research interests and subsequent projects mirror her broad and growing practice at CHOP. Some of her other clinical interests include microsurgical and general reconstruction of the head/neck, trunk, and lower extremity, abdominal wall reconstruction, conjoined twin care, ear reconstruction, and treatment of vascular anomalies. Her practice does not include craniofacial, cleft lip, or cleft palate care.
Research expectations and opportunities
The General Pediatric Plastic Surgery Research Fellow will work directly with Dr. Ligh, who has a unique broad pediatric plastic and reconstructive practice, which is non-craniofacial and non-cleft lip/palate. Responsibilities include developing hypothesis, writing IRB protocols and grant proposals, clinical data collection, analysis, manuscript writing for publication, and organizing research meetings.
The research fellow is expected to be responsible, intellectually curious, honest, hardworking, independent, motivated, and embody team collaboration. Throughout the fellowship, the research fellow will work on various clinical research projects, with the goal of submitting to high-impact plastic surgery journals. The fellow will have the opportunity to collaborate with the other research fellows within the division, as well as plastic surgery residents and fellows.
The primary goals of the fellowship are to support broad clinical educational development, learn how to organize and execute scientifically valid and impactful clinical research in an academic setting, and develop a meaningful relationship with an academic pediatric plastic surgeon.
Award stipend
Successful candidates will receive a small stipend to help offset living expenses for the year as well as will cover travel expenses to national meetings if presenting podium presentations.
If applicants desire to start as early as January 2025, additional stipend may be available.
How to apply
Candidates who wish to apply for the July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 fellowship period are invited to submit your application beginning October 1, 2024. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2024.
Those who desire to start before July 2025 are preferred, so please indicate your timeline in the application.
To apply for the General Pediatric Plastic Surgery Research Fellowship, submit your application and CV along with a one-page personal statement.
Please refer to the below questions if you need some guidance for your personal statement, but do not limit yourself to answering just these questions. Please keep personal statements to one page.
- What do you hope to get out of this fellowship?
- What experience do you think has prepared you for this?
- What skills do you possess?
- Why are you a stronger candidate than others?
- What are your career goals?
If you have any questions regarding the application process, please do not hesitate to contact us at PlasticsResearch@chop.edu
Kindly do not email our surgeons regarding your application process.
Interviews
We interview eligible applicants between December and early January.
Other requirements
To carry out its mission, it is of critical importance for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to keep our patients, families and workforce safe and healthy and to support the health of our global community. In keeping with this, CHOP has mandated all workforce members (including trainees) on site at any CHOP location for any portion of their time be vaccinated for COVID-19. This mandate also applies to workforce members or trainees providing patient care at non-CHOP locations. CHOP also requires all workforce members and trainees who work in patient care buildings or who provide patient care are required to receive an annual influenza vaccine. Candidates other than those in positions with regularly scheduled hours in New Jersey, must attest to not using tobacco products. Employees may request exemptions to any CHOP vaccine requirement for religious and medical reasons.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. CHOP is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor seeking priority referrals for protected veterans.
CHOP is committed to building an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, connection, and community within their workplace. We are a team dedicated to fostering an environment that allows for all to be their authentic selves. We are focused on attracting, cultivating, and retaining diverse talent who can help us deliver on our mission to be a world leader in the advancement of healthcare for children.
We strongly encourage all candidates of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.