PRS Virtual Curriculum
Started in 2020, the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Virtual Curriculum (PRSVC) is a virtual course for medical students featuring curated learning modules and readings covering basic topics in plastic surgery.
The course is open to 3rd- and 4th-year medical students worldwide and runs from February to June each year. Registration opens in January.
Course Goals
1. Provide a structured curriculum for medical students to effectively learn about the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery virtually.
2. Curate an organized list of resources that cover a wide variety of topics that are accessible and useful to medical students with different learning styles.
3. Build a community among students interested in the field.
Course Timeline
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Flaps and Grafts, Part I
Upper Extremity Injuries
Head and Neck Trauma
Upper and Lower Extremity Trauma
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Flaps and Grafts, Part II
Breast Reconstruction
Head and Neck Reconstruction
Upper and Lower Extremity Reconstruction
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Wound Healing
Cleft Lip and Palate
Hand Anatomy and Congenital Hand
Congenital Head and Neck
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Wound Care and Burns
Aesthetic Breast Surgery
Aesthetic Surgery of the Face
Gender Affirming Surgery
The PRSVC runs in the spring for a total of 14 weeks. The curriculum is built around the four pillars of plastic surgery — Trauma, Reconstruction, Pediatrics, and Aesthetics. Each pillar spans one month, with weekly sessions dedicated to a specific topic within that theme.
2026 Course Schedule
In addition to weekly lectures, the curriculum includes concurrent reading materials and optional small group case discussions.
Every other week, our Teaching Assistants lead a small-group discussion with 10-15 students on a unique case or article in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.
Additional reading material is made available via DeckerMed and ASPS’s Resident Education Center.
Meet Our 2026 Team
Since the course was founded by Dr. Abra Shen, Dr. Bernard Lee, and Dr. Samuel Lin at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in 2020, our team has grown!
Abra Shen, MD
Director
Kinan Sawar
Course Lead
Nevin Kalaf
Speaker Series Lead
Michael Edgar
Education Lead
Meryem Guler
Social Media Lead
Teaching Assistants
Each year, medical students serve as Teaching Assistants and guide students through the course content through virtual case discussions.
Prior Leadership
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Mahsa Taskindoust
Assistant Director 2022
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Anamika Veeramani
Education Manager 2023
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Jessica Blum
Social Media Manager 2023
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Rosie Friedman
Research Manager 2023, Education Manager 2024
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Jasmine Panton
Speaker Series and Outreach Manager 2023, Assistant Director 2024
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Charlotte Berry
Social Media Manager 2024, Course Lead 2025
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Stephanie Vu
Speaker Series Lead 2025
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Kinan Sawar
Speaker Series Lead 2025
Prior Teaching Assistants
Our first program launched in June 2020 with 275 students from over 18 countries.
Since then, we’ve had over 1000 students participate in the curriculum!
Our Growth
In 2021, we published a manuscript detailing our experience designing and developing the PRSVC in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
FAQs
No, only students in their 3rd or 4th year of medical school can sign up for the PRSVC course. However, our weekly lectures are open to everyone – you can find the Zoom link for each lecture on our social media.
Are students able to sign up for the course if they’re not in their 3rd or 4th year of medical school?
1
Attendance of all Speaker Series lectures are not mandatory for students who enroll in the PRSVC, but we (and the speakers) appreciate the consistent attendance of all our students!
What happens if I’m not able to make one of the Speaker Series lectures?
2
Is there a certificate that students get for completing the course?
3
At this time there are no certificates our team offers for completion of the PRSVC course.
4
Yes! Every year, we open applications for teaching assistants and the leadership team.
Teaching assistant roles are open to 3rd- and 4th-year medical students and current PRS or General Surgery residents, preferably those who have completed the program.