Surgery
At A Glance
Program Type: Military Medical Center
Location: Fayetteville, NC
Accredited: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
Program Length: 5 years
Required Pre-Requisite Training: Medical school graduation
Categorical Year in Specialty Required: Yes
Total Approved Complement: 15
Approved per Year (if applicable): 3
Dedicated Research Year Offered: No
Medical Student Rotation Availability: 3rd and 4th year
Additional Degree Concurrent with Training (e.g. MPH): No
Program Description
The General Surgery Residency at Womack Army Medical Center seeks motivated medical students to join our exceptional team! Our mission is to train and produce General Surgeons competent to serve our Nation's defense in both war and peace. To that end, we aim to graduate surgeons of character who are technically facile, emotionally intelligent, and leaders in combat medicine. If you are looking for a challenging program that values personal growth, teamwork, and excellence, look no further! Our Residency Program is dedicated to providing a comprehensive training program that encompasses the entire breadth of core general surgery and the general surgery subspecialties, including cardiothoracic, abdominal transplant, oncology, and vascular endocrine, colorectal, trauma, and pediatric surgery. Our program offers diverse clinical settings for training that include Womack Army Medical Center, Carolinas Medical Center, WakeMed, and University of North Carolina Hospitals.
Mission, Vision and Aims
Mission
To train fully competent general surgeons to serve soldiers and their families within the U.S. Army and on the battlefield through high quality clinical and educational experiences.
Vision
To train competent general surgeons, capable of the full scope of battlefield surgery and who are prepared to lead surgical teams.
Aims
The residency program in the Department of General Surgery at Womack Army Medical Center shall provide education and training for progressive development of physicians and other departmental personnel while providing services to the regional community and ensuring military readiness. This program has its goal: wish to pursue a career in general surgery, desire future training in a general surgery subspecialty, and are considering pursuing an operational assignment such as Battalion or Brigade surgeon.
Curriculum and Schedules
We have department-wide didactics every Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. These academic sessions include:
- Resident and faculty led presentations
- Formal practical training
- Mock oral boards
- Preoperative conference
- Grand rounds
Residents can also attend hospital grand rounds.
| Year | Rotations |
|---|---|
| 1st Year | Womack Army Medical Center is dedicated to training trauma-ready general surgeons; because of this, we encourage early operative exposure. The R1 year is a traditional surgical internship with rotations on general surgery, orthopedics, urology, ENT, Trauma, and SICU rotations. The operative goal for surgical interns is to have completed a minimum of 100 cases by the end of the academic year. |
| 2nd Year | The second clinical year builds upon the first with increased exposure within WAMC and rotations at our partner institutions, University of North Carolina (UNC) and Carolina Medical Center (CMC). This year includes nine months of general surgery, trauma, pediatric surgery, and Surgical ICU rotations. |
| 3rd Year | The third clinical year provides exposure to cases of increased complexity with rotations on hepatobiliary, cardiothoracic, and burn surgery. Additionally, six months of the academic year are spent on the WAMC general surgery service with increasing responsibility and autonomy. |
| 4th Year | The PGY-4 rotations at Womack Army Medical Center provide an opportunity for the resident to assume senior-level responsibilities. The senior resident is the team leader and, therefore, responsible for the supervision of the residents and the overall care of the patient with continued staff oversight. The complexity of operative cases continues to increase, and the PGY-4 resident is expected to be aware of all aspects of his or her patient's condition and the proposed management plan. |
| 5th Year (Chief) | The chief year is the final year of training and provides the residents with increasing responsibility and leadership roles. The chief resident is the primary surgeon for complex general and vascular procedures and is expected to be intimately involved in all aspects of the patient's care. There is a two-month rotation at CMC as the trauma chief to finalize trauma training in anticipation of future deployments following graduation. |
Our program does not currently offer elective rotations.
Residents can expect to be on call for 24 hours multiple times on weekdays and weekends.
The General Surgery residency includes schedule lectures on military leave and pay, deployment experience, and other needed topics to increase the success of graduates serving in Army Medical Departments. Lectures are scheduled quarterly on Friday morning academics. All residents will complete Combat Casualty Care Course (C4) training before or during intern year.
Required Rotations
- Anesthesia
- Chief Time
- Endoscopy
- General Surgery
- Hepatobiliary
- Oncology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Surgical ICU
- Transplant
- Trauma
- Vascular
Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery is a course that residents are required to pass prior to completing registration for the board exam at the end of residency. Additionally, residents take:
- Basic Life Support
- Advanced Life Support
- Neonatal Resuscitation Program
- Advanced Trauma Life Support
The Womack Army Medical Center is equipped with a state-of-the-art simulation Center. Simulated activities of multiple surgical skills, Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery, and Fundamentals Endoscopic Surgery.
Specific military and leadership curriculum will be discussed quarterly at academics, and residents, will have regular feedback regarding performance with residency leadership with regards to their growth in leadership roles in our residency. They will act as chiefs of their service as senior residents with opportunities to serve and gain experience as leaders.
Scholarly and Professional Development Opportunities
Each resident in our program is expected to complete a basic research study requirement. Resident projects can be initiated by residents or faculty. Residents will have the opportunity to present research at local or district meetings, or those with significant scientific merit may have the opportunity to present at National Meetings. The Department of Clinical Investigation can assist residents with research at our institution.
The concepts of quality assessment and quality improvement are presented to the residents to familiarize them with the current and changing environment of medicine. Residents participate in the monthly department QA reviews. A resident is also present for any root cause analysis undertaken that involves a General Surgery. Residents are encouraged to perform QA/QI projects while in residency. These projects can be Resident initiate or Staff initiated.
Specific military and leadership curriculum will be discussed quarterly at academics, and residents will have regular feedback regarding performance with residency leadership. Residents will also be asked to serve as quality assurance leaders during case reviews, and during root case analyses for our department.
Participating Sites
- Womack Army Medical Center
- Carolina Medical Center
- University of North Carolina Hospital
- WakeMed Raleigh
- Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune
Applicant Information, Rotation and Interview Opportunities
The application deadline for residency is September 15th. Prospective residents will complete the application online using the Medical Operating Data System website. In addition, applicants will need to include several items with their application packet. These supplemental items are due by October 15th. These items include medical school transcript, step 1 and 2 results, height, and weight and Army Physical Fitness Test verification, and Dean's letter.
MODS is used for selection of residents into the General Surgery program. Results from this military match are distributed at the Army Graduate Medical Education Selection Board which is typically held the week after Thanksgiving each year. In early November, the General Surgery program reviews the MODS files of applicants to the GS Program and places them on an Order of Merit List based on their performance as outlined in the MODS file.
Residents take an annual exam known as the American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam every January. In preparation for their formal written and oral boards at the end of Residency. Program graduates take the American Board of Surgery board exam to become board-certified. It is a 2-part exam. The qualifying exam (written exam) is offered once a year in mid-July after graduating residency. The certifying exam (oral exam) is offered twice a year, both of these components must be passed within a seven year period to become a board certified General Surgeon.
Teaching Opportunities
Residents serve as teachers of didactics and leaders of journal club session in our didactics and are given feedback to grown annually as teachers to students and junior residents while on service.
Residents are given the opportunity to lead practice-based learning modules in General Surgery areas for rotating medical students.
Faculty and Mentorship
Our current faculty is board-certified or board eligible in the following specialties/sub-specialties:
- General Surgery
- Minimally Invasive/Bariatric
- Trauma and Acute Care
- Colorectal
- Surgical Oncology
Our residency annually surveys residents and faculty who are interested in mentorship relationships, and match mentees to mentors based on both their interests. Residents and staff are encouraged but not obligated to service in these roles.
Well-Being
The Womack General Surgery program and institution educates residents and faculty members on the professional responsibilities of physicians to appear for duty appropriately rested and fit to provide services required by their patients. The General Surgery program is committed to promoting patient safety and resident well-being in a supportive educational environment.
Contact Us
General Surgery Residency Program
Location: Womack Army Medical Center, General Surgery Clinic
Monday–Friday
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Phone: 910-396-8915
Fax: 910-907-7463
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