| of surgery training requirements. The process of surgical training is a great adventure for faculty and residents alike. After graduation, our personal and professional relationships with alumni continue by way of E-mail, letters of recommendation, advice, and sometimes partnerships.
My goals, as program director, are to recruit the highest quality junior surgical residents, provide overall guidance for the residents, and create an enhanced educational and working environment conducive to learning the craft of surgery. One measure of success is my comfort in allowing any recent graduate from our program to care for me as a patient.
The surgical residency is a five-year training program with strong emphasis on clinical acquisition of skills. Expectations of resident performance and professional behavior are appropriately high and include dedication to patient service, demonstration of communication skills, intellectual curiosity, maintenance of personal academic standards, development of teaching skills, as well as the progressive acquisition of fine technical skills. These characteristics are developed in a cordial but professional environment. Successful residents are deeply committed to their training. Such commitment, enthusiasm, and adventuresome spirit are needed to counterbalance the substantial time, emotional, and physical commitments encountered during five years of surgical training.
The development of young surgeons is best accomplished with adherence to the fundamental principles of surgery, utilizing a master-apprentice model, whereby residents experience a variety of approaches to problem solving. We strive to create an environment that provides an optimal balance of opportunities for trainees with regard to service versus education as well as progressive independence versus supervision.
As program director, I act as coach and official in guiding residents through training as surgeons. Working along with my faculty colleagues to provide training and education for young surgeons is my greatest professional commitment and challenge. We seek individuals who also enjoy great challenges to join us as surgeons." |
