Plastic Surgery Residency Salary & Benefits

Salary

The current annual salary for the 2025-2026 academic year can be found here.

Licensing Fees

All medical board licensing fees and United States Medical Licensing Examination Step III application fees are paid for by the UC San Diego House Staff Association.

Vacation

Four weeks of paid vacation are offered per year. Additional leave for illness, family medical emergencies, or maternity/paternity may be taken according to written policy in the UC San Diego House Officer Policy and Procedure Document (HOPPD).

Insurance Coverage

Health insurance with Blue Cross and disability plans are available to resident physicians and their dependents, as well as dental and vision coverage, provided as an employment benefit with no cost to the resident or their dependents.

Life Insurance

There is a life insurance plan for the resident physician provided by the university at no cost to the resident. Malpractice insurance is also provided by the university.

Uniforms

Two lab coats with embroidery are provided yearly. Laundering services are provided by the linens department.

On-Call Meals

At UC San Diego Health, La Jolla and Hillcrest, a preset amount of badge money is provided for the year.

Resources

Residents have full access to UC San Diego and Veterans Affairs libraries. This includes access to all libraries on the UC San Diego campus with full off-site access. There is also full off-site access available via the internet. Residents also have access to the Center for the Future of Surgery simulation center.

Parking

UC San Diego Medical Center offers staff parking permits as a payroll (pre-tax) deduction. Kaiser Permanente offers free parking to residents. More information can be found here.

Additional Benefits

Additionally, the division will sponsor travel expenses for junior residents to attend the California Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting; the senior residents to attend the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Association of Plastic Surgeons or American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons annual meeting; and the chief residents to attend the Annual American Society of Plastic Surgeons Senior Residents Conference if the resident is in good standing and submits an abstract that is accepted to the meeting. Locally, residents have standing invitations to attend meetings at the San Diego Plastic Surgery Society.