First Year

First-year residents in the five-year program spend approximately seven months working in general surgery, critical care, and trauma. Rotations through surgical specialties, such as transplant and CT take up the remainder of the year. Board-certified surgeons and senior surgical residents supervise first-year residents during each rotation. Residents provide continuity of care by following their patients from the preoperative to postoperative stages.

Second Year

Second-year residents spend an additional six months on general surgery rotations, as well as the critical care rotation in the surgical intensive care unit. They also complete the remaining surgical subspecialties, including surgical endoscopy/anesthesia, pediatric/burn, neurosurgery. Each PGY-2 resident also does a six-week night float rotation in the SICU.

Third Year

Residents work as senior surgical residents on the breast, while they take on increasing responsibilities in a variety of areas. The remainder of the year is spent on general surgical services as a middle level resident, a one-month night float rotation, and a one-month Endo/Ultrasound rotation.

Fourth Year

Residents assume the role of senior resident for four months on the Trauma/ICU service. The remaining eight months are spent engaged in a broad spectrum of general surgery. Many residents have been able to fulfill the number requirements for board eligibility by the completion of their PGY-4 year. Each PGY-4 resident also has the option of doing an outside elective for one-month in their chosen field.

Fifth Year

By the completion of the fifth year, residents are ready to become independent practitioners. During this final year of surgical training, senior residents act as chief residents on the three general surgical services and assume full responsibility for patient care management. They direct management for all patients on their services, perform a wide variety of surgical procedures and supervise the junior house officers. The senior residents guide all teaching conferences and provide clinical instruction to junior house officers and to medical students on their surgical clerkships.