Academic achievements by surgical trainees may vary according to the competitiveness of the subspecialty and desirability of the consultant post. Plastic and reconstructive surgery is a competitive specialty. In order to assess the level of achievement of current trainees, we investigated the academic qualifications, publication rates and future research plans of 100 senior house officers in plastic surgery working in units in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Selected results from our survey show that 30% had intercalated degrees, 6% had higher degrees, 58% of trainees had MRCS, 37% had previous plastic surgery experience and 57% had published (range 1-13). We believe this study provides interesting information concerning the current crop of plastic surgery trainees in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This survey may provide a benchmark for consultants to refer to when shortlisting for SHO posts. We also believe it will be of interest to those junior trainees hoping to pursue a career in plastic surgery.