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Application guide · Updated

Fellowship Match timeline and application planning

Plan a plastic surgery fellowship application around the correct Match cycle, programme deadlines, references, interviews and appointment requirements.

Write down both the Match year and the start year

A recruitment cycle can take place well before training begins. Record the intended fellowship start date and the cycle used to appoint that cohort as separate fields. Otherwise a search for next year's fellowship may lead to a closed cycle or to recruitment for a different start year.

The planning sequence here is an organising tool, not a universal calendar. Some posts use a central Match, some advertise employment vacancies, and some accept institution-specific applications. Follow the instructions attached to the actual post.

Worked example: the ASRM 2027 Microsurgery Match

ASRM's published 2027 Match timetable leads to training starting in July 2028. As checked on 14 October 2026, it lists the following milestones. Recheck the official timetable and individual programme instructions before acting; these dates do not govern every microsurgery fellowship worldwide.

  • 4 January 2027: applicant registration begins.
  • 3 March 2027: Central Application Service target date. ASRM explicitly says this is not a deadline; individual programme deadlines must be checked.
  • 3 June 2027, 12:00 PM Pacific Time: rank-list submission deadline.
  • 10 June 2027, 9:00 AM Pacific Time: Match results.
  • 11 June 2027: remaining positions may appear on SF Match's Immediate Vacancies page; individual programmes manage those listings.
  • July 2028: training begins for the cycle described by ASRM.

Create one application record for each programme

  • Programme and appointment: exact title, training year, start date, duration and recruitment system.
  • Eligibility: required specialty training, qualification dates and unresolved registration questions.
  • Submission: official portal, programme-specific closing date, timezone and any earlier target date.
  • Documents: who supplies each item, whether a referee submits directly and the portal's received status.
  • Selection: interview arrangements, ranking deadline, relevant Match agreement and contact restrictions.
  • After selection: licence, immigration, institutional credentials, contract and relocation dependencies.

Work backwards from the earliest real dependency

Start with documents that need action from someone else: references, training confirmation, official transcripts or translations if required. Agree a working date with each contributor that leaves time to identify missing material. A file you have uploaded and a complete application accepted by the system are different milestones.

Give each requirement one status—needed, requested, received or accepted—and one next action. For example, a referee's confirmation that a letter was written still leaves the portal receipt to verify. Keep application fees and travel costs beside this record so you can prioritise a feasible shortlist.

Prepare for interviews without bypassing recruitment rules

Use the interview to test whether the educational plan fits your objectives and whether you can meet the appointment conditions. Prepare a short explanation of your training, the skills you want to develop and the evidence behind your interest in that specific host. Note unanswered questions about supervision, case allocation and costs.

Communication rules vary. The Aesthetic Society restricts direct resident enquiries to endorsed programmes about the next Match. AACS runs its own cosmetic fellowship process with its own agreement and rules. Read the correct scheme before requesting commitments, submitting rankings or approaching unfilled programmes.

Keep the post-selection plan separate

A Match result or offer does not complete registration, immigration or hospital credentialing. Confirm which office owns each step, what evidence it needs and which approvals must be in place before clinical work starts. Agree how delays would affect the appointment instead of assuming an offer removes these dependencies.

If a position remains unfilled, use the scheme's official vacancy route and establish that the vacancy is current. Do not treat a listing left online, an unanswered enquiry or an earlier year's vacancy as an available place.

Questions to take to the programme

  • Which application cycle recruits for my intended start year?
  • Which dates are programme deadlines and which are only central target dates?
  • Have all third-party documents been received by the application system?
  • Which requirements would remain after an offer or Match result?

Official sources and scope

Sources checked on 14 October 2026. Institutional examples apply to their own programmes; requirements can change. These guides support educational decisions and do not determine an individual's regulatory or immigration eligibility.