Thank you for your interest in the University of Chicago General Surgery Residency Program.  Our residency program is designed to provide a broad surgical experience to prepare residents for further training in their specific area of interest.  The five-year general surgery residency is primarily based at the University of Chicago Medical Center with specified rotations at integrated and affiliated hospitals including John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County and NorthShore University HealthSystem.  The recent addition of the NorthShore University HealthSystem, our primary educational affiliate to the residency program network, provides our trainees with an unparalleled clinical experience at one of the largest and most comprehensive community-based health care delivery systems in the Midwest.

The first and second years include rotations on cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery (four services which emphasize breast, endocrine, upper/lower gastrointestinal, laparoscopic/minimally invasive and oncology surgery), pediatric surgery, transplant surgery, vascular surgery, night float and a trauma rotation at John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County and general surgery rotations and NorthShore University HealthSystem.  Residents assigned to these services participate in both inpatient and outpatient activities. They are also provided the opportunity to care for patients throughout the pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative course of their illness.  During each rotation, the resident works closely with senior residents and faculty in the specific specialty area.

Prior to entering the third year, residents have the option of devoting 24 months or more to basic science, clinical outcomes and/or translational research.  Research experience is not mandatory, but is elected by most residents and is strongly recommended for those planning a career in academic surgery.

The third year includes rotations as the senior resident on burn, transplant, vascular surgery and night float.  The remainder of the year is spent in general surgery at the University of Chicago and NorthShore University HealthSystem working with a team of junior and senior residents.

The fourth year includes rotations on night float and as the senior resident on the cardiothoracic surgery service.  The remainder of the year is spent on the trauma service at John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County Hospital and the general surgery services at NorthShore University HealthSystem.

The fifth or Chief Resident year consists of rotations as the senior resident on the general surgery services at the University of Chicago Medical Center and the NorthShore University HealthSystem.

Services are staffed so that the resident has maximum responsibility and opportunity.  Residents assigned to the night float service work in-house, on-call assignments every Sunday through Thursday with weekends off. While assigned to other services in-house, on-call assignments average two nights per month. We offer formal teaching conferences to all residents throughout the year and in the subspecialties during specific rotations. General Surgery residents acquire an in-depth knowledge of the pre- and post-operative care of acutely ill patients, the principles of surgical physiology and wound management, as well as the essentials of conventional and minimally invasive operative techniques. Residents perform an average of 900 to 1,000 surgical procedures, including 250-300 cases at the chief resident level. 

In addition to resident/faculty and resident/resident interaction in clinical care situations, the core educational curriculum includes didactic and interactive teaching during several weekly conferences, including: Grand Rounds, Morbidity and Mortality Conference, Residents Basic Science/Clinical Case Conference and Surgical Oncology Conference.

The resident is eligible to take the Qualifying Examination of the American Board of Surgery after completing the General Surgery Residency program and with the recommendation of the Program Director.

Research

The diverse research interests of our General Surgery faculty include NIH-funded work in bacterial virulence, tumor immunology, molecular biology, as well as gene therapy of gastrointestinal malignancy and endocrine tumors. Ongoing clinical research includes participation in national cooperative trials of breast cancer, upper and lower gastrointestinal cancer, evaluation of inflammatory bowel disease and outcomes analysis in obese and critically ill patients.

Application

We participate in the Electronic Residency Application Service, so please contact your medical school or the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates for instructions about the application process. In addition to three letters of recommendation, medical school transcripts, and the Dean's letter, we require United States Medical Licensing Examination scores. The deadline for applications is November 1.

The Residency Review Committee has approved our program for six categorical residents per year. We will directly match all positions through the National Resident Matching Program.

Interviews are by invitation only. The resident selection committee reviews completed applications and sends letters stating whether an interview has been granted.

Please feel free to contact Carmen Barr from our Surgical Education Office at cbarr@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu or at (773) 702-6337 for additional information.

Mitchell C. Posner, M.D.
Thomas D. Jones Professor of Surgery
Chief, Section of General Surgery and Surgical Oncology
Director, Surgical Oncology Fellowship
University of Chicago
5841 South Maryland Avenue
Chicago, Illinois  60637