The Fellowship Program

The Application of Intent for the 26-27 match cycle is now closed and will reopen November 2025 for the 27-28 match cycle.

Once the Application of Intent has been approved, the full Fellowship Application will be made available to you. Please make sure all prerequisites have been met prior to filling out the Application of Intent (current AAFPRS membership, residency program must be ACGME or RCPSC accredited or applicant must be board-certified in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery or plastic surgery, see below for other requirements).

Please only create one account on this database. If you forget your password, do a password reset, do not create a new account. You may want to use an email that is not connected with your residency program, but is evergreen so you don't  miss important information if you forget to update. 

All Fellowship Applications are due by February 1, 2026. There will be no late application deadline. 

If you are an International Medical Graduate (IMG) you will NOT participate in the match. Please do NOT fill out an Application of intent. See AAFPRS website for more information on the IMG process. 

• Applicants must be a member of the AAFPRS before submitting an Application of Intent. 
• Applicants must be physicians who are currently in or have completed an otolaryngology or plastic surgery residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or board-certified in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery or plastic surgery. 
• Applicants should not be full-time faculty members holding the rank of assistant professor or higher at the institution where the fellowship will take place. Applicants with DO degrees may be considered only if they are in an ACGME-accredited residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery or plastic surgery.
• Unless a candidate with a DO degree has completed the entirety of their postgraduate training in an ACGME approved residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery or Plastic Surgery they will not be eligible to become certified by the ABFPRS after fellowship training. This is based on ABFPRS by-laws which require completion of an ACGME accredited residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery or Plastic Surgery.

The Educational and Research Foundation for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program provides postgraduate training in facial plastic surgery. The objectives of the fellowship program are to:

• provide an outstanding academic opportunity for the acquisition of specialized knowledge and skills in facial plastic surgery;
• develop trained specialists who will contribute to the ongoing development of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery;
• foster development of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery educators, especially in residency programs; and
• encourage the development of new skills and knowledge in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery through basic research and clinical trials.

Residents in ACGME accredited programs in otolaryngology or plastic surgery are eligible to apply for the 65+ positions available each year. The AAFPRS Foundation Fellowship Program is widely respected by the medical community and represents the finest postgraduate program in the world for the training of facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons. Since its beginning in 1969, the program has trained more than 1200 highly specialized experts to be educators and leaders in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. These individuals and their directors have performed a tremendous service to the AAFPRS and the specialty through the development and dissemination of new procedures, improvement of patient care, refinement of surgical techniques and the promotion of confidence and respect in the specialty.

The Fellowship Application Process

Each applicant will be required to complete an Application of Intent to be eligible to access the full application. Please be sure you have met all prerequisites for applying for an AAFPRS Foundation Fellowship prior to completing the Application of Intent.

The following are requirements of the application process and must be submitted to consider the application final:

• Complete all tabs
• Upload a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Upload Future Plans Statement which should be one page and consist of three main components:
  
  1. Describe your main short-term and long-term goals (now, 5 years,
      10 years) and why you chose facial plastic surgery.
  2. Describe how you see your future career including practice setting 
      and specific (if any) parts of facial plastic surgery that you would 
      want to emphasize in your clinical practice.
  3. List the main steps to reach these goals, including a backup plan. 
    
  
• Upload Medical School Transcript (official with Registrar’s signature)
• Have 3 letters of reference (1 must be from the Department Chair/Program Director) uploaded by your letter writers. There is space for an additional 4th reference if you wish. 
• Submit credit card payment for application fee.

All requirements and application fees must be submitted by February 1st. There is no late deadline. The application completion date includes letters of reference.

Application Fees

A $175 application fee is required to apply to 10 programs or less. There is an additional fee of $15.00 per program for applicants who wish to apply to more than 10 programs. 

A $75 match registration fee must be paid directly to the SF Match office. Visit the SF Match website for additional information (www.sfmatch.org). Program selections should be the same on SF Match as they are on this database in order for you to submit your rank by June. You should register on SF Match by March 1. International medical graduates (IMGs) do not participate in the match process, but contact programs directly.

You will receive email notification the week of January 27 to call in with your fellowship application payment. Please wait until the last week of January as you may decide to make changes (or there may be program changes) and it is best to only have one payment transaction. Credit card payments can be submitted by calling (703) 650-9236 or via secure fax to (703) 299-8284 at that time. Please make sure your program selections are set prior to submitting payment. Once your application is submitted as final you cannot go back to make program selection changes. 

Questions? Please reach out to fellowships@aafprs.org.