Paediatric plastic surgery

What is it in children?

Plastic surgeons reconstruct form and function. In children, much of the work is cleft lip and palate, burns, congenital hand differences, craniofacial surgery and vascular anomalies ^{[1, 2]}.

Typical conditions and operations

• Cleft lip and palate. The lip is usually repaired at about 3 months and the palate at 6 to 12 months, by a specialist team at an NHS cleft centre ^[3]. There are nine cleft services around the UK ^[4].
• Burns. Plastic surgeons lead the resuscitation, surgery and reconstruction of patients with burns ^[1].
• Congenital hand differences. Syndactyly (fused digits) and polydactyly (extra digits) are the most common ^[5].
• Craniofacial conditions and vascular anomalies are both key training areas in the curriculum ^[2].

How to get there

Plastic surgery is entered at ST3, after core surgical training, through one national recruitment process. For 2026 this was run by the London Recruitment Office ^[6].

1. 5 to 6 yearsMedical school

   A medical degree. To apply for the Foundation Programme you need to be eligible for provisional registration with the GMC ^[7].

2. 2 yearsFoundation Programme

   The two-year UK Foundation Programme ^[7].

3. CT1 to CT2Core surgical training

   You need to finish core training, or hold the Alternative Certificate, and pass the MRCS by exam by the date offers are released ^[8].

4. ST3 to ST6Phase 2

   Four years of training across plastic surgery, including cleft and burns. It ends with eligibility for the Intercollegiate Specialty Board (FRCS) exam ^[2].

5. ST7 to ST8Phase 3 and special interest

   Two years, with special interest time allocated by your training programme director ^[2].

6. CCT, then cleft or other fellowships

   The JCST runs a 12-month cleft lip and palate fellowship. It's open to plastic surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons and ENT surgeons ^[9].

Good to know

• Indicative length is six years from ST3 ^[2]. With two Foundation and two core years, that's roughly ten years after medical school.
• The curriculum also describes an academic run-through route from ST1, which takes an indicative eight years ^[2].

Getting involved as a student

• BAPRAS Student and Foundation membership costs £25 a year and includes a student special interest group and mailing list ^{[10, 11]}.
• BAPRAS Undergraduate Day. The 2026 day was at RCS Edinburgh for £20, with skills teaching, careers advice and prizes for the best poster and best surgical skills ^[12].
• BAPRAS student bursaries support research, travel or an elective in plastic surgery. The deadline is 7 January ^[13].
• PLASTA, the plastic surgery trainees' association, has free student and foundation membership ^[14].