Resident Education

All residents spend at least one month of dedicated and protected research time and most residents spend one to three years in the NIH-funded clinical or basic science research laboratories combining academic excellence with clinical expertise. At UVA, residents will attend weekly and daily conferences as part of their curriculum. It is a culture and an expectation that residents in our program seek opportunities to educate. Many UVA students cite this as a reason to seek entrance to our residency, and the plethora of teaching awards won by our residents stand as evidence to this fact.

The General Surgery Program at the University of Virginia offers a unique commitment to the residents through a rigorous clinical experience, dedicated research, and a structured curriculum striving to create future leaders in academic surgery. During the five-years of the clinical program, residents gain knowledge of pre-operative and post-operative patient care with a strong focus on critical care, develop surgical technical skills, and most importantly, acquire pre-, intra-, and post-operative decision-making skills.

PGY-1

During their intern year, general surgery residents will be exposed to the majority of surgical specialties. They will complete 4-week rotations in the following specialties: Blue surgery (colorectal), Orange surgery (laparoscopy, upper GI, bariatric), Gold surgery (surgical oncology, endocrine), Green surgery (hepatobiliary), plastic surgery, cardiothoracic or vascular surgery, transplant surgery, surgical critical care, surgical nutrition and endoscopy, pediatric surgery, and night float. Most of their time is spent learning pre-operative and post-operative patient management and acquiring basic surgical skills in the operating room or in the surgical skills laboratory. The incoming intern class consists of approximately 17 residents, 5 of whom are in the categorical general surgery program.

PGY-2

Greater responsibility, autonomy, and a higher level of surgical skills are acquired during the second year. Residents focus extensively on the management of critically ill patients, participate in basic laparoscopic cases, but also learn more advanced techniques for vascular surgery as they rotate through transplant and vascular access service, trauma and cardiovascular/thoracic intensive care unit, endoscopy and vascular surgery. During the second year, residents have the opportunity to care for veterans as they spend several months at the Veterans’ Hospital in Salem, Virginia. Second year residents also start to function as the general surgery consult resident in close coordination with a chief resident.

Following completion of the second year, residents are encouraged to pursue basic science or clinical research.

PGY-3

The third year of residency involves in-depth surgical education with a specific focus on patient evaluation and operating. Four to five months of this year are spent on general surgery services, and one to two months are spent on surgical oncology, thoracic surgery, and acute care surgery. In addition, the third-year residents act as the first line surgical consultant.

PGY-4

During the fourth year, residents spend much more time functioning as the chief of service. Residents rotate on pediatric surgery, vascular, trauma, and Red (endocrine) surgery. One block is spent at Augusta Medical Center, a busy community hospital, in Fishersville, VA.

PGY-5

By the fifth year, our residents emerge as skilled surgeons performing complex cases and perfecting their surgical techniques and clinical decision making skills. The chief general surgery rotations include Blue surgery (colorectal), Orange surgery (laparoscopy, upper GI, bariatric), Green surgery (hepatobiliary), Emergency General Surgery, and a rotation at the Salem Veterans Hospital. Chiefs assume greater responsibilities for patient care, education, mentoring, and management of their teams. Chiefs also finalize their plans for fellowship or practice following completion of their general surgery residency training.

Fundamental surgical skills including laparoscopy are learned in a skills laboratory located in the Education Resource Center. In addition, residents have the opportunity to travel to national meetings and further improve their laparoscopic techniques.