Surgery Residency Program
Leslie Wise, M.D., Director of the Surgery Residency Program, is a professor of surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University Medical College. Dr. Wise, the author of over 350 publications, is an internationally known surgeon whose clinical and research interests involve breast cancer and the gastrointestinal system. He is a member of all the prestigious international and national surgical associations.
Under the leadership of Dr. Leslie Wise, who joined the Hospital in 1993, the Surgical Residency Program was reorganized and expanded in terms of space and number of full-time staff members. Educational activities were greatly strengthened with many new teaching conferences and seminars provided by both the surgical staff and by distinguished visiting professors. In addition, the affiliation with the New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the Weill Medical College of Cornell University made various other academic and research opportunities available for our residents.
The Hospital maintains a very active Emergency Department. Surgical residents serve as surgical consultants for the Emergency Department in their senior years. Residents are also assigned to outpatient clinics in general and sub-specialty surgery.
The residency program is structured along the lines of increasing graded responsibility culminating in the chief resident assuming total responsibility for patient care under the supervision of the attending staff. During the course of their training, residents are exposed to a wide variety of clinical problems in general surgery and specialties, including cardiothoracic surgery, peripheral vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, urology, gynecologic surgery, trauma and neurosurgery. Since the subspecialties do not have fellowships of their own, the general surgical residents have full responsibility for patient care in the subspecialties. For cardiac surgery and burn surgery, the residents rotate to New York Hospital. The major exposure to trauma surgery is gained during a two-month rotation through Kings County Hospital, one of the most active trauma centers in the country. For transplantation, the residents rotate to Mount Sinai Hospital. Nearly all graduating residents have performed over 900 major operations, which is well above the national average.
Experience in critical care is obtained in the second year, when there is a formal, full-time assignment for three months to the surgical intensive care unit at New York Methodist. All residents are well indoctrinated in monitoring procedures, blood gas interpretations, cardio-respiratory physiology and respiratory care, including the use of ventilators.
The Department of Surgery has a well-organized teaching schedule. This includes conferences and rounds given by the chairman and the faculty. There are approximately ten hours of weekly formal surgical conferences that include professorial rounds, surgical grand rounds, morbidity and mortality conferences, journal clubs and service rounds. Residents are also assisted in the initiation of research presentations and publications in the six weeks they spend during their third year research rotation.
The general surgery residency is non-pyramidal (3-3-3-3-5). Three chief residents graduate each year from the program. A preliminary residency, for those planning a career in a surgically related specialty, is available for one to two years. All the first year positions are offered through the National Resident Matching Program.
The Surgery Residency Program
The rotational assignments for the surgical residency are:
PGY 1
(All rotations at New York Methodist)
General Surgery (Teams A, B, and C) - 6.5 months
Urology - 1 month
Orthopedics - 1 month
Emergency Medicine - 1 month
Anesthesia - 2 weeks
Surgical Intensive Care Unit - 1 month
Vacation - 1 month
PGY 2
General Surgery - 4 months at New York Methodist
Cardiothoracic Surgery - 1 month at New York Presbyterian Hospital
Surgical Intensive Care Unit - 6 months at New York Methodist
Vacation - 1 month
PGY 3
General Surgery - 4.5 months at New York Methodist
Trauma - 2 months at Kings County Hospital
Burn - 1 month at New York Presbyterian Hospital
Transplant - 1 month at Mount Sinai Hospital
Surgical Intensive Care Unit - 1 month
Endoscopy: 2 weeks
Gynecology: 3 weeks at New York Methodist
Non-invasive Vascular Laboratory - 2 days at New York Methodist
Radiologic Breast Center - 2 days at New York Methodist
Esophageal Physiology Laboratory, including pH monitoring - 1 day at New York Methodist
Vacation - 1 month
PGY 4
General Surgery: 11 months at New York Methodist
Vacation - 1 month
PGY 5
General Surgery: 11 months at New York Methodist
Vacation - 1 month
Departmental Conferences
Surgical Grand Rounds
A lecture series presented by distinguished visiting professors invited to give lectures on topics of their expertise. Every Tuesday (9 to 10 a.m.)
Basic Science Seminars
Formal lecture series hosted by attending surgeons and invited guests from other institutions. Every Tuesday (7 to 8 a.m.)
Morbidity and Mortality Conference
Weekly review of all surgery related complications. Every Tuesday (8 to 9 a.m.)
Professorial Rounds
A lecture and quiz on general surgical topics conducted by Leslie Wise, M.D. Every Friday (7 to 8 a.m.)
Management Rounds
Full-time and voluntary physicians provide ward rounds and discussion of patient management. Every Tuesday (1 to 2 p.m.)
Current Journal Seminar
Monthly discussion of selected papers from current surgical journals
Specialty Conferences
Weekly lecture series hosted by chiefs from pediatric surgery, thoracic surgery, vascular surgery, gastroenterology and pathology specialties.
A textbook review of sequential topics by residents with faculty supervision. Held twice monthly.
For further information, please call the department office at 718.780.3288.
