Become a Resident

As a resident in the Department of Surgery, you will take progressive responsibility as an integral member of Ohio State’s surgical team, delivering state-of-the-art patient care, expanding your knowledge and skills as you teach medical students and contributing to innovations in medicine through translational research and clinical outcomes studies. From myriad clinical experiences to conferences where you will present your research, you will learn to thrive as a qualified, independent specialist in the rewarding, often lifesaving, field of surgery.

How to Apply

We accept applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) of the National Resident Matching Program. You will need to provide your curriculum vitae (CV), a personal statement, three letters of recommendation and medical school transcript (MSPE). Applications are accepted from the time ERAs opens in September through mid-December each year. Selected applicants will be invited for a virtual interview.

Program ID: "Ohio State University Hospital Program"

Foreign medical graduates applying to the program must hold, or be eligible for, a valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), a J-1 Visa and must have at least one year of experience in an accredited clinical training program in the United States or academic research.

Is Ohio State a good fit for you?

Choosing a residency program is a big decision. Here are key questions to ask – and what our own residents say matters most.

Does the program offer you research opportunities? Does it provide the level of clinical training you’re searching for? What is the depth and breadth of the faculty? And most importantly, can you see yourself here? These are all important factors to consider when determining if a program is right for you. Here’s what recent residents have told us:

“The perfect applicant for our program is someone who has the ability to work hard, efficiently, creatively and intelligently while providing humble and compassionate care to our patients,” said a rising chief resident.

“An applicant who is personable, a team player, a leader and motivated to be involved in clinical and research opportunities would be the best fit here,” asserted a second-year resident.

Said a second-year resident, “The best applicants are the ones who can work seamlessly in multidisciplinary environment.” A first-year resident said that because Ohio State is a major academic center someone who’s looking for that would fit here very well. “Research is also important to the department so this is a great place for residents with a strong interest in that.”

How to make the most of your interview

Coming to your interview prepared is a key step in successfully becoming an Ohio State Department of Surgery resident

Interviewing for residency placements can be daunting. You’ll be asked a lot of questions and you should be prepared to answer honestly. Additionally, you should come armed with plenty of inquiries about the program – being informed will point you to the right decision. These tips from our residents will help ensure you’re ready for the conversation:

"The purpose of the interview day is for you to learn about all the great opportunities offered here at OSU and for us to get to know you", said one fourth-year resident. “If you’ve been offered an interview, you have all the requisites of a great applicant and the interview day is a chance to see if we’ll be a good fit."

"To make the most of your interview day, bring specific questions you want to ask about our program but also pay attention to how the residents interact with each other and with the faculty", said a third-year resident. “You’ll see that the environment at OSU is one that a lot of applicants seek in a program."

A second-year resident advised applicants to “come prepared knowing yourself and what you are looking for. Yes, we’re critically looking at you to see if you're a good fit and that is nerve-racking – but you should be doing the same thing with us. Ask us the tough questions, push us on things that appear weak and test us so that you can figure out if we are a good fit for you." she said.

What are the strengths of the program?

Ohio State’s general surgery residency offers many advantages as you begin your career.

Every program has its own particular strengths. Great facilities, leading-edge programs, research opportunities and solid academics all contribute to an institution’s effectiveness and reputation. Yet our residents all agree it’s the people – the leadership, faculty, staff and co-residents – who are the true strength at Ohio State.

A second-year resident said the best part about the program is definitely the faculty and staff. “OSU continues to recruit many world-renowned surgeons across all divisions who are invested in training the next generation of surgeons. The collegiality among the faculty, staff and residents truly fosters an exceptional environment for surgical training.”

The biggest strength of our program at Ohio State is the leadership, said a chief resident. “Our department chair and program director, along with other leaders in research and education, are all extremely supportive and have a strong investment in the development of future leaders in academic surgery.”

Said a first-year resident, “My co-residents are great doctors and even better people, but beyond them every team member from PCAs to nurses to pharmacists are incredibly proud to be part of the OSU team. Collectively we take the best care of our patients and that makes our jobs as residents incredibly easy.”

“I think an underrated strength of our program is that the leadership is willing to change to support the current residents rather than staying in stasis because ‘it’s always been done that way,’” said another second-year resident.