Surgery
At A Glance
Program Type: Military Medical Center
Location: Augusta, GA
Accredited: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
Program Length: 6 years
Required Pre-Requisite Training: Medical School Graduation
Categorical Year in Specialty Required: Yes
Total Approved Complement: 18
Approved per Year (if applicable): 3
Dedicated Research Year Offered: Yes
Medical Student Rotation Availability: 4th year
Additional Degree Concurrent with Training (e.g. MPH): No
Program Description
The General Surgery Residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to provide five clinical years of surgical training and one dedicated research year to three residents per year. The program’s mission is to develop and sustain outstanding surgeon leaders who excel at providing surgical care in any clinical or military operational environment through a broad and robust operative training experience and high emphasis on a challenging academic curriculum and scholarly activity. The strategic goal of the program is to develop and train safe, independent practitioners of the art and science of surgery. As each resident develops a disciplined commitment toward life-long learning, the program prepares graduates for the independent practice of General Surgery and/or the pursuit of subspecialty training. Preparation is achieved through working towards the following program-level core competencies:
- Patient Care and Procedural Skills
- Medical Knowledge
- Practice-based Learning and Improvement
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
- Professionalism
- Systems-based Practice
Surgical training is challenging. Each resident must balance clinical, academic, administrative, research, and military obligations in the workplace. Additionally, personal relationships and outside interests must be fostered and nurtured. It is this balance that will enable the individual to reach his/her highest potential and succeed no matter how challenging the training.
General surgery residency training should be viewed as a journey towards a lifetime of learning. The program provides the education, research facilities, operative case volume, and the surgical faculty to support that journey. The General Surgery Residency Program at Eisenhower Army Medical Center has a proud tradition of training some of the Army’s finest General Surgeons, some of whom continue to serve the military, and others who have gone on to serve to the community and the country in high level health care positions. It is in their footsteps that the resident journey begins; where that journey leads is up to the resident.
How is the research year organized?
The research year is conducted between the PGY2 and PGY3 years. While on research, the residents will periodically cover general surgery call at EAMC about one night per week on average. The residents participate in both clinical and basic science research in conjunction with the surgery faculty at EAMC as well as PhD investigators at the Department of Clinical Investigation (DCI) located on Fort Gordon. Generally, residents are actively participating in at least 4 projects simultaneously which include projects they have initiated as well as projects they have “inherited” from previous residents. Residents are offered a wide variety of fields of research and are afforded the opportunity to select which project fields they are most interested in and then discuss with the program’s Director of Resident Research.
What changes are expected in the program curriculum?
The program staff and residents meet annually to conduct a Program Evaluation in which the entire curriculum including the rotation schedule and academic schedule is reviewed and discussed. As such, the program curriculum is subject to change at any time in order for it to remain flexible and adaptable. Additionally, the Program Director is regularly evaluating the residents’ educational experiences through both direct feedback as well as evaluations in order to periodically intervene and make modifications when appropriate in order to achieve the best results.
Mission, Vision and Aims
Mission
The program’s mission is to develop and sustain outstanding surgeon leaders who are prepared to excel in delivering exceptional health care to military personnel, their families, and retirees while fostering a culture of professionalism, leadership, and readiness.
Vision
To be the premier general surgery residency program in the U.S. Army recognized for producing skilled and compassionate surgeons who are dedicated to serving the needs of the military community, advancing surgical knowledge, and contributing to the overall readiness of the Uniformed Services.
Aims
- Excellence in surgical education
- Patient centered care
- Leadership and professional development
- Collaboration and interdisciplinary care
- Commitment to readiness
Curriculum and Schedules
Morbidity & Mortality (M&M) / Quality Improvement (QI) Conference
The M&M/QI conference is a weekly conference attended by all residents and staff. This conference will also serve as the basis for Quality Improvement / Performance Improvement / Patient Safety involvement of every resident. Projects will be initiated and completed through the collaborative efforts of teams of residents and faculty. Updates on the progress of each of the projects will be presented by the teams with a final presentation of impacts/results at the end of the academic year.
Preoperative Conference
On a weekly basis all elective cases for the upcoming week are presented by residents or medical students. Emphasis is on proper indications, surgical techniques, anticipated problems with and pre- and postoperative care and physiology.
Tumor Board Conference
The Tumor Board Conference is a mandatory bi-weekly conference for the faculty and house-staff. Each new malignancy from the hospital system is presented by the operating resident to a multidisciplinary panel of medical oncologists, surgeons, radiotherapists, pathologists, and diagnostic radiologists.
Journal Club
This conference is recommended for all staff and house-staff. Each month faculty and the administrative chief resident select articles from the current surgical literature for presentation and discussion. Generally, this involves an evening dinner for academic discussion as well as socialization.
Multidisciplinary Gastroenterology Conference
A one hour gastroenterology conference occurs monthly in conjunction with the general surgery and gastroenterology service.
Multidisciplinary Trauma / Critical Care Conference
A one-hour trauma/critical care conference occurs monthly with participation of hospital intensivists.
Attending Staff Rounds
Weekly bedside teaching rounds with the assigned clinic surgery staff. This may consist of didactics or ward rounds based upon the attending’s preference. These rounds will occur on Thursday mornings and will be led by the attending staff and the team’s chief resident.
Mock Oral Boards
A simulated Oral Exam experience is provided for all PGY-4 and PGY-5 level residents biannually.
Morning Report
Each morning, the previous night's on-call resident present to the General Surgery Service any patients admitted to the surgery service and any patients seen in consultation. Management decisions are formulated, and diagnostic evaluations are discussed.
Surgical Simulation
A laparoscopic simulation lab session will be performed at junior and senior level sessions on alternating weeks. Laparoscopic and endoscopic simulation tasks are performed, and surgical skills are refined under faculty and senior resident supervision. This time will be used for progression through the Flexible Endoscopy Curriculum (FEC) as well as to prepare residents for the Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES) and Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) exams. This time will also be utilized for a robotic surgery training curriculum for residents and for the monthly live tissue trauma lab.
Operative Anatomy Lecture Series
A structured approach to reviewing relevant surgical anatomy through short presentations describing procedures and the pertinent anatomy. These reviews are designed to highlight not only common procedures performed, but also the less common procedures that still require residents to be fully knowledgeable. The topics will be reinforced with the Cadaver Lab dissection at the end of the month.
This Week in Score (TWIS) Curriculum
Weekly resident-run short lectures will cover the assigned reading material in the American Board of Surgery's SCORE Curriculum. The surgery team with the lowest average score on the quiz will be responsible for presenting the next weeks reading material.
Cadaver Lab
Monthly anatomic dissections designed to elaborate on the finer details of commonly performed and not so commonly performed procedures.
Evidence-Based Reviews In Surgery
This is a monthly conference during which a published manuscript relevant to the field of surgery is presented and analyzed. Primary emphasis is made on the elements of critical evaluation of published articles.
Mock ABSITE Exam
Each resident in October or November will perform an online “mock” ABSITE composed of 250 questions similar to the real ABSITE. This will help in test preparation and will aid in identifying those residents who may require more intensive instruction.
Program Director's Conference
This recurring conference will be conducted by various attending faculty on a rotating basis. The didactic will focus on a variety of topics and skills including oral board preparation and discussions of other relevant topics at the attending’s discretion. This conference will also focus on other topics relevant to physician and Army officer development as part of a broader Military Unique Curriculum of leadership.
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An elective may be permitted after advanced discussion and planning with the program director to determine that the elective will not be detrimental to the requesting resident’s education or negatively impact the residency program’s schedule at sponsoring or partner institutions.
Call will vary based on rotation.
The program will review the Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guidelines and often participate in conference case presentations from the Joint Trauma System. Surgical staff with prior operational experience will typically relay their lessons learned and share experiences which will set trainees up for success during their upcoming operational duties. Lecture series on leadership development and soldier responsibilities are offered. The program also offers a live tissue trauma lab in which residents are proctored through surgical procedures while staff surgeons relay tips and experiences of operational surgical experiences.
As with all general surgery training programs, residents will be expected to complete the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) and Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES) courses. Residents will also complete Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Advanced Trauma Life Support.
Time is dedicated each week during the academic day (Thursday) for surgical simulation. Interns and junior residents will go through didactic and simulation training and on suturing and knot tying as well as chest tube placement and insertion of central venous catheters. All residents will also perform simulation training on laparoscopic and endoscopic trainers. This time is also used to complete the robotic surgical simulation curriculum and perform human cadaver dissections.
Residents are taken through leadership development exercises and given lectures on the meaning and development fundamentals of leadership.
Scholarly and Professional Development Opportunities
Residents complete a research year between the PGY-2 and PGY-3 years. During this time, residents will be actively engaged in ongoing clinical and basic science protocols while also developing their own new projects under the guidance of staff physicians at DDEAMC as well as researchers in the Department of Clinical Investigation (DCI) located at Fort Eisenhower. Residents are also encouraged to collaborate with researchers from affiliated partner hospitals in Augusta and the Atlanta areas. Research residents are expected to periodically cover overnight general surgery call at DDEAMC about once per week which helps maintain their clinical and surgical skills and engagement during this year.
Morbidity & Mortality (M&M) / Quality Improvement (QI) Conference
The M&M/QI conference is a weekly conference attended by all residents and staff. This conference will also serve as the basis for Quality Improvement / Performance Improvement / Patient Safety involvement of every resident. Projects will be initiated and completed through the collaborative efforts of teams of residents and faculty. Updates on the progress of each of the projects will be presented by the teams with a final presentation of impacts/results at the end of the academic year.
Participating Sites
- Augusta Georgia Hospitals – Augusta University Medical Center (Wellstar Medical College of Georgia), Doctors Hospital’s Joseph Still Burn Center, Piedmont Medical Center
- Atlanta Georgia Hospitals – Emory St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta VA Medical Center
- Martin Army Community Hospital – Fort Moore, GA
Applicant Information, Rotation and Interview Opportunities
Students are highly encouraged to begin planning for audition rotations well in advance (approximately six months prior to starting 4th year of medical school). Formal rotations of four weeks are encouraged as this since these provide students with full electronic medical record and clinical access and also provides the best opportunity for students to gain a thorough assessment of the program and vice versa. Shorter visits for observation and in-person interviews can also be scheduled.
In-person interviews are highly encouraged. If you are not able to make it here for an in-person interview, we ask that you contact us with submitting your curriculum vitae and personal statement and we will work to get you scheduled for a virtual interview.
Program graduates take the American Board of Surgery exam. Full board certification in general surgery requires passage of the Qualifying Exam (written board) followed by passage of the Certifying Exam (oral board). This often occurs within the first year following graduation from residency. More information on Board Examination requirements can be found on the American Board of Surgery website.
Teaching Opportunities
It is the expectation of the Program that residents demonstrate increasing levels of responsibility and expertise as teachers. This includes the instruction of fellow residents but also medical students, nursing staff and students, medics, physician assistant (PA) students, and surgical technicians. Residents are evaluated on their ability to instruct and teach in each of these regards whether it is through formal didactics, informal instruction, or taking an intern or more junior resident through a surgical procedure.
Faculty and Mentorship
DDEAMC staff include specialties in general surgery, minimally invasive surgery/bariatric surgery, surgical oncology, vascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, colorectal surgery, and plastic surgery as well as other surgical specialties (orthopedics, urology, otolaryngology, etc.). Partner institutions have faculty in transplant surgery, trauma/critical care, pediatric surgery, burn surgery, endocrine surgery, and hepatobiliary surgery.
Forced or designated mentor relationships are not established in our program. Rather, we provide the opportunity for developing these relationships more spontaneously through open dialogue and relations with our staff and residents.
Well-Being
Annual Intern Welcome Party
All faculty and residents and their families get together for an evening of fun and food at the start of the academic year to help welcome the new interns and share stories about their experiences and rotations.
Chief’s Dinner
A formal evening dinner for all faculty, residents, and families at the end of the year to wish the graduating chief residents farewell with a healthy dose of “roasting” of the chiefs and faculty.
Holiday Party
A casual nighttime get-together in December to help celebrate the halfway point of the year and compete to see who can wear the most “festive” holiday sweater.
Fifth Thursday
Each month where there is a fifth Thursday, there are no scheduled clinical duties or academics, and the residents are free to enjoy the day with an organized offsite activity of their choosing.
Contact Us
General Surgery Residency Program
Location: Eisenhower Army Medical Center, 1st Floor
Monday–Friday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
Phone: 706-787-1139
Fax: 706-787-9356
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