The residency in general surgery includes the categorical track for medical school graduates wishing to achieve eligibility for the American Board of Surgery examination in the specialty of general surgery. There are no undesignated preliminary general surgery residents nor arethere preliminary residents for any other specialty.Residents do rotate from other approved programs inneurosurgery, orthopaedics, and urology. The categoricalprogram is non-pyramidal. Fellowships in surgery exist in plastic surgery and surgical critical care.
Three medical school graduates are accepted into the first year of this six-year program in general surgery. The first, second, fourth, fifth, and sixth are clinical years. The third year is spent in research with limited clinical responsibility. The director of surgical research supervises the year’s experience, meeting with the PGY-3 resident to map out a path that will center on the surgical field of greatest interest to the trainee. A vigorous basic science research program is ongoing at the main campus.
The goals of the research year are to acquaint the future surgeon with the process of surgical research so as to allow a more critical appraisal of the literature as well as to emphasize significant academic productivity with both presentations and publications.
Nearly all recent graduates have opted for further training in a discipline of general surgery. Fellowships have been obtained throughout North America in premier programs in cardiothoracic, colorectal, plastic, vascular, and trauma surgery.
The program centers upon the principal components of general surgery, with an established curriculum that challenges the individual resident academically and technically. The goal of the program is to produce an effective, knowledgeable, and capable practitioner of the art and science of surgery.
The curriculum is being enhanced with the addition of a Surgical Skills Lab that encompasses both open and laparoscopic skills. The principal components of general surgery involve diseases of the head and neck, breast, skin and soft tissues, alimentary tract, abdomen, vascular system, and endocrine system; comprehensive management of trauma and emergency surgery; and surgical critical care. There is also broad exposure to other sub-specialties of surgery, including cardiothoracic, pediatric, plastic surgery, and endoscopy. All clinical rotations are served at the main campus except for one month of solid organ transplantation in the third year, and four months in general surgery performed at a nearby community hospital.
The large number of full-time faculty at this campus in all surgical disciplines allows a close relationship between attending and resident. The program emphasizes the importance of gradual responsibility of the trainee so as to allow for development of surgical judgment. Increasing emphasis is placed upon ambulatory surgery and continuity of care between resident and patient.
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Director: Brian R. Kann, M.D., FACS, FASCRS
Contact: Cathi Cooney, Coordinator
Phone: 856-342-3012
Fax: 856-365-7582
E-mail: cooneycl@umdnj.edu or surgery_camden@umdnj.edu
Address: Cooper University Hospital, Office of Surgical Education, Three Cooper Plaza, Suite 411, Camden, NJ 08103
PGY–1
2 months - Surgical Critical Care
6 months - General Surgery
4 months - General/Subspecialty
PGY–2
2 months - General Surgery
6 months - General/Subspecialty
2 months - Trauma
2 months - Surgical Critical Care
Research Year
12 months Research Fellowship
PGY–3
7 months - General Surgery
4 months - General/Subspecialty
1 month - Transplant
PGY–4
6 months - General Surgery
4 months - Subspecialty/Vascular
2 months - Trauma
PGY–5
12 months General Surgery
Subspecialty rotations include cardiothoracic surgery, otolaryngology, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, ambulatory surgery, wound care surgery, and transplantation.