The Department of Surgery

General Surgery Residency Program Curriculum

PGY-1

During the first year, residents will encounter a broad range of learning challenges focusing on outpatient, emergent and elective care, preoperative evaluation, and post-operative care. Early operative experience is normal. Rotational experiences include general surgery, vascular surgery, trauma, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, and anesthesiology.

PGY-2

The goals are to learn diagnosis and treatment of common surgical disorders. Rotations include general surgery, trauma, surgical critical care, vascular, transplant, urology, cardiothoracic surgery, and surgical oncology.

Elective Research Year

One resident after the PGY-2 year will be offered the opportunity to spend a year doing investigative work. At the end of the year, that resident will reenter the clinical cycle at the PGY-3 level. Residents pursuing an academic career through fellowships have found this year extremely useful and productive.

PGY-3

The third year resident gains further experience in a supervisory role in general surgery, trauma, vascular, transplant, surgical critical care, as well as elective time.

PGY-4

Senior residents rotate in two month blocks of time in the fields of pediatric surgery, trauma, cardiothoracic, and general surgery. They are expected to "run" their services during this year. A rotation at a non-urban hospital is expected to familiarize the resident with practice in smaller communities and to provide a wide diversity of experience. The goal is to develop administrative skills and begin to learn the care of complex surgical problems.

PGY-5

The chief resident year is devoted to the major components of general surgery. Chief residents serve 10 months as chief on the three general surgery services and two months as chief on the vascular service. In addition, they participate in hospital and departmental governance, assist in administering the program (call, rotational, and vacation scheduling) and provide leadership in running the conference curriculum and simulationr schedule.

All rotations take place within the University of Tennessee Medical Center except pediatric surgery (Children's Hospital), and the rural hospital experience (Morristown-Hamblen Hospital).

Conference Schedule