Our mission is the development of leaders in clinical surgery. Progressive responsibility is the key element of the NYU residency, with surgical decision- making and responsibility taught in clinical and didactic settings. We stress the scientific method with an emphasis on evidence-based decision making in clinical surgery and the pursuit of new knowledge in clinical studies and in the laboratory. Research is strongly encouraged but not required. Most residents spend two years in basic investigation during the residency and all residents are strongly encouraged in their second year to participate in a clinical research project with a faculty member.

Senior residents receive faculty appointments as teaching assistants in the NYU School of Medicine.


Categorical Program

The basic core of the residency is a five-year program which will prepare the residents for board eligibility in General Surgery. There are 9 categorical positions.

All general surgical residents receive an advanced trauma life support (ATLS) training course in their second year as well as basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ACLS) recertification courses in their third year.

General surgical residency is divided into three sections.

Years 1 and 2: The Basic Surgery Residency.
The first two years teach peri-operative care and technical surgical skills with increasing operative responsibility. Residents rotate through the services of the three hospitals and work under the direct supervision of senior residents, fellows, and faculty surgeons. The clinical program is supplemented by a didactic program in surgical basic science and the academic program of the department.

Rotations are in four or eight week blocks. They include approximately:

* 8 months in general surgery
* 2 months in surgical oncology
* 1 month in neurological surgery
* 1 month in emergency medicine
* 1 month in pediatric surgery
* 2 months in trauma
* 1 month in transplantation
* 2 months in plastic/hand
* 1 month in burn
* 3 months in cardiothoracic
* 3 months in vascular surgery
* 1 month in urologic surgery

Year 3: Assistant Chief / Consultant
During the third year, residents spend two-thirds of their time as a surgical consult and a third as an assistant chief resident on services at Bellevue Hospital Center, and the New York VA.

Their responsibilities include consultation to inpatient services, outpatient clinics, and the emergency room, supervision of junior residents and teaching of third-year students. The year includes general, trauma, plastic/hand, breast, laparoscopic and vascular surgery and additional experience with gastrointestinal endoscopy, as well as rotations with senior resident responsibility in cardiothoracic and transplantation surgery.