Curriculum

The overall objectives of the general surgery residency program are to:

• Educate and train surgeons who will provide the highest quality of surgical care for their patients
• Provide a comprehensive educational program through a spectrum of didactic, operative, and research experiences in order to encompass the breadth and depth of the field of surgery so as to prepare the resident for fellowship training or clinical practice
• Provide outstanding technical instruction through a challenging and diverse operative experience, which will prepare the resident for clinical practice upon graduation
• Provide avenues for mentorship through which residents may grow professionally while cultivating a strong, positive work ethic and camaraderie
• Involve the resident in surgical research to foster intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and analytical, presentation and communication skills
• Qualify residents to become certified through the American Board of Surgery

The first postgraduate year in surgery is structured to give residents a broad-based experience in general surgery with special emphasis on the development of differential diagnosis, as well as pre- and post-operative care of the surgical patient. Emphasis is also placed on developing sound basic technical skills through direct operative experience. Current PGY-I rotations are as follows:

• General surgery; 2 months
• Pediatric surgery; 1 month
• SICU; 2 months
• Thoracic surgery; 1 month
• Urology; 1 month
• Colorectal surgery; 1 month
• Night float; 2 months
• ER consults; 1 month
• Breast Surgery; 1 month

Second year residents continue to grow and develop their operative skills while increasing their responsibility for the care of surgical patients.  Current PGY-II rotations are as follows:

• General surgery; 2 months
• Colorectal surgery; 2 months
• SICU; 2 months
• Peripheral Vascular; 2 months
• Thoracic; 1 month
• Transplant/HPB; 1 month
• Night float; 2 months

The third post-graduate year of training incorporates, in large part, a series of one-on-one educational experiences with highly rated surgical educators (mentorships). Residents are expected to grow in the depth of their surgical judgment, operative skills, and knowledge of the workings of health care delivery. In addition, the third-year residents are in charge of preparing the anatomy didactic lectures and dissecting the cadaver. Current PGY-III rotations are as follows:

• General surgery; 2 months
• Pediatric surgery; 2 months
• General surgery/HPB; 1 month
• Breast; 1 month
• Surgical Oncology Mentorship; 1 month
• Grosse Pointe-General surgery; 1 month
• Elective; 1 month
• Night float; 1 month
• Endocrine; 2 months

The fourth post-graduate year is a required, ACGME-approved, year of research.  All residents are expected to participate in hypothesis-driven research projects with clearly delineated expectations for accomplishment.  Residents are required to participate in all regularly scheduled educational conferences and departmental research meetings. 

During the fifth post-graduate year, residents function at a senior level on all rotations. The Colorectal surgery service is co-managed with a fellow, however, clinical experience is not compromised and individual cases are not co-managed for case log credit. The resident attends a regular weekly outpatient staff clinic. This arrangement provides the senior resident with an appropriate level of autonomy as well as ongoing continuity of care. Current PGY-V rotations are as follows:

• General surgery; 2 months
• Thoracic surgery; 3 months
• Colorectal surgery; 2 months
• Transplant; 2 months
• SICU; 1 month
• Night float; 1 month
• Float; 1 month

During the sixth post-graduate year, in addition to senior level responsibilities on each clinical service, the PGY-VI surgical residents continue to be primarily responsible for the care of acute care surgery service patients. The resident attends a regular weekly outpatient staff clinic similar to their fifth year. Current PGY-VI rotations are as follows:

• General surgery; 7 months
• Peripheral Vascular surgery; 2 months
• Night float; 1 month
• Elective; 1 month
• Endoscopy; 1 month

The educational program employs a variety of methods to foster learning in basic science and clinical knowledge as well as the general competencies endorsed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Protected education time is scheduled for one hour every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. These consist of

• ABSITE reviews
• SCORE lectures
• SEMCME lectures
• anatomy lectures with cadaver lab dissections
• surgical skills sessions
• subspecialty conferences
• monthly journal club

Tuesdays are reserved for mortality and morbidity conference and grand rounds

Residents participate in informal teaching experiences including:

• bedside rounds
• outpatient clinics
• operative procedures

Residents also participate in a variety of informal teaching experiences including bedside rounds, outpatient clinics and operative procedures under the direct supervision of highly dedicated teaching faculty. We believe that a self-motivated and self-directed approach to continuing education and lifelong learning is incumbent upon all qualified and dedicated professionals. In order to cultivate these skills and provide a structure for independent study throughout the training program, all residents are provided with written objectives as well as a comprehensive surgical textbook. All residents are expected to actively pursue and remain abreast of the current literature as it pertains to patients under their direct care. To facilitate this type of in-depth study, all residents have uninterrupted access to the on-site medical library with full copying privileges.

Corewell Health is an institutional member of the Southeastern Michigan Continuing Medical Education (SEMCME) which includes many residency programs in the Detroit Area. Through this SEMCME residents are able to participate in a bi-weekly teleconferenced lecture on basic science given by expert surgeons from around the Detroit area and two SEMCME sponsored mock-oral examinations. The in-training examination (ABSITE) is given each January, and is administered to residents of all levels of training. A mock-oral examination is held each spring for all residents and is performed in the style of the oral certifying examination.