Associate Professor

The successful candidate will meet the requirements for faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor, commensurate with the qualifications, academic productivity, and years of experience, and in accordance with Tulane University School of Medicine criteria for appointment and promotions.  The candidate must have completed formal training in plastic surgery and will be engaged in a blend of complex clinical care, resident and fellow education, and scholarly activity appropriate to rank and academic track.

Required Applicant Materials:

Interested candidates should submit the following materials:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Contact information for at least three professional references

For further inquiries about this position, please email Dr. Abigail Chaffin at achaffin@tulane.edu

Core Responsibilities

• Clinical Care (approx. 60–80%):
  • Perform advanced reconstructive microsurgery, including free tissue transfer, breast reconstruction (DIEP flaps), lymphedema surgery, upper/lower extremity salvage, and head and neck reconstruction.
  • Manage complex wounds, burns, and post-bariatric reconstruction.
  • Provide comprehensive care in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
  • Provide aesthetic and cosmetic surgical care, including body contouring, breast aesthetic surgery, facial aesthetic procedures, and autologous fat grafting and other procedures requiring specialized operative equipment.
  • Participate in call coverage, often at Trauma Centers.
• Teaching & Education (approx. 10–20%):
  • Educate and mentor residents and fellows in ACGME-accredited plastic surgery programs.
  • Provide bedside and didactic training to medical students and trainees.
• Research & Academic Output (approx. 10–20%):
  • Conduct clinical, translational, or basic science research.
  • Publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at national conferences.
  • Candidates on the clinical track may satisfy this expectation through clinical scholarship, case series, quality-improvement work, invited lectureship, or national society activity.
• Administrative & Service:
  • Participate in departmental and hospital committees.
  • Develop and grow the institutional microsurgery program. 

Develop and grow the institutional plastic and reconstructive surgery program, including its microsurgical, reconstructive, and aesthetic service 

Required Qualifications

• Education: M.D. or D.O. degree from an accredited institution.
• Training: Completion of an accredited plastic surgery residency program and a dedicated fellowship in microsurgery/microvascular surgery. Completion of an ACGME-accredited plastic surgery residency program.  Candidates must demonstrate current competence in microsurgical reconstruction.  This may be established either by formal fellowship training in microsurgery/microvascular surgery or by equivalent documented operative experience – including an established practice in free tissue transfer and microvascular reconstruction.  Documented operative experience will be considered fully equivalent to formal fellowship training; a dedicated microsurgery fellowship is not required.
• Certification: Board certified or board eligible (BE/BC) by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).
• Licensure: Ability to obtain a state medical license.
• Experience: Proven expertise in complex reconstruction. Demonstrated expertise in complex reconstructive surgery.  Candidates seeking appointment at senior rank are expected are expected to present an established clinical practice, a record of scholarly activity, and evidence of teaching, mentorship, or program leadership.

Preferred Qualifications 

1. Fellowship training in microsurgery or microvascular surgery (not required where equivalent operative experience is documented). 
2. Established clinical practice with demonstrated surgical productivity and a regional referral base.
3. Expertise in aesthetic and cosmetic surgery, including body contouring, breast aesthetic surgery, and autologous fat grafting.
4. Prior leadership of a microsurgical, reconstructive, or aesthetic surgery program or service line.
5. Qualifications supporting appointment at the Associate Professor or Professor rank.
6. Experience practicing across multiple hospital and ambulatory surgical settings.