Surgery Program

The goals of the residency program are as follows:

1. Excellence in patient care at all levels.

2. The development of the true general surgeon who is at ease in any situation, equally prepared for academic post-residency fellowship or clinical practice, and instilled with a strong and lasting commitment to self-education.

3. Adherence to the guidelines of the Residency Review Committee for Surgery, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Surgery. Our program is in complete compliance with the new ACGME work hours regulations. PGY-1, PGY-2 and 3 residents are on a night float system. PGY-4 and 5 residents take call from home. At all levels, residents average less than 80 hours of work per week and have at least one full day off every seven days.

The surgical residency program is a comprehensive, five-year residency program in general surgery. The program is ideal for individuals interested in a surgical subspecialty, anesthesiology or radiology.

The program is non-pyramidal. You are expected to progress according to established criteria, and performance is evaluated every four to six months. A new web-based evaluation system is in place. Residents evaluate the program, the faculty and each other twice a year. Two categorical PGY-1 positions (C-19) are offered and two chief residents complete the program each year.

Two preliminary track PGY-1 positions (P-18) are available to individuals planning further training in areas other than general surgery. The program is ideal for individuals interested in a surgical subspecialty, anesthesiology or radiology. The first year can be customized for those with special interests or needs.

All first-year postgraduate trainees experience rotations in general surgery, subspecialty surgery and critical care. Increasing responsibility for evaluation and treatment of patients is a major part of the entire five-year experience. Personal experience in surgical procedures is provided throughout all levels of the program and begins early in the first year.

The volume of cases is large but not excessive, leaving sufficient opportunity for conference and reading time. Graduating chief residents handle all of the complex cases common to general surgery, and because there are no surgical fellows in subspecialties, a wide variety of clinical material is available. Graduating chief residents handle an average of 1000 cases over the five years.

Physician assistants provide coverage of subspecialty service so that resident time on subspecialties may be devoted to education. The hospital is an American College of Surgeons Verified and State of Connecticut Designated Level II Trauma Center. A multidisciplinary cancer center and an American College of Surgeons-designated cancer program.

Third-year clinical clerks from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons rotate to the surgical service on a full-time basis, providing intellectual stimulation for both residents and faculty. For current information about salaries and other benefits, go to our portion of the FREIDA website.