Department of Surgery FY 2023 Education by the Numbers
- 3 ACGME-Accredited Surgical Residencies
- 6 Fellowship Specialties
- 2 Assistant Professorships
- General Surgery Residents: 50
- Cardiothoracic Surgery Residents: 2
- Vascular Surgery Residents: 2
- 46% male, 52% female, 2% non-binary
- 20% underrepresented minorities in medicine
- 20 are members of the AOA National Medical Honor Society or graduated from a top 25 U.S. News & World Report Best Medical School
- 30% currently hold advanced degrees
- 100% went on to do a fellowship
- Fellows: 25
To learn more, visit medicine.osu.edu/surgeryed.
At The Ohio State University, we help our Department of Surgery residents and fellows achieve their personal and professional goals. Each learner can tailor their training by selecting from a wide range of opportunities that will further their skill set and help in their journey to becoming a successful surgeon.
Residency Programs
Ohio State training focuses on three areas of professional growth — ongoing education, hands-on clinical experience and research. This unique framework is used in our general surgery residency, as well as our subspecialty residencies of colorectal surgery, pediatric surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and vascular surgery. By having access to our world-class facilities and the latest technology and set training time at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center University Hospital, OSUCCC – James, Ross Heart Hospital, East Hospital and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the residency experience at Ohio State is truly one of a kind.
To learn more about our general surgery residency program, visit https://medicine.osu.edu/departments/surgery/education/residency.
Fellowships
Subspecialty surgical fellowships at Ohio State include advanced therapeutic endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery, cardiothoracic, colorectal, critical care, abdominal transplant, pediatric surgery (Residency Review Committee approved), pediatric surgical critical care (Residency Review Committee approved), pediatric minimally invasive surgery pediatric bariatric surgery, pediatric colorectal surgery, oncology, vascular, minimally invasive surgery and bariatrics.
To learn more about our subspecialty surgical fellowships, visit medicine.osu.edu/departments/surgery/education/fellowships.
Professional Development and Research Training Program
When it comes to research and academic leadership, we use an immersive curriculum that offers important flexibility so our residents can personalize their education. We believe tomorrow’s surgeon-scientists and leaders in academic medicine have to have this kind of in-depth research experience before they start their careers.
During the training program, each resident is given protected time and support to complete three distinct phases:
- Preparation for research – Trainees select their mentor, apply to graduate school, submit fellowship and funding applications, and select courses that fulfill advanced degree curricular requirements.
- Research training – Residents conduct mentored research, participate in research-in-progress presentations, attend quarterly meetings, submit abstracts to and present research results at national meetings, network with members of the research and professional community, receive feedback, periodically self-assess their progress toward individualized training goals and continue to participate in core departmental activities.
- Extended development – This includes participation in departmental or institutional committees, taking on leadership responsibilities for committee work or special projects, continuing publication and research presentations, applying to surgery subspecialty fellowships or other specialty training and serving as a resource for new surgery residents.
Every resident is required to dedicate at least one year to the program — many choose to do two. In addition to research-specific skills, additional benefits gained include skills related to time-management, journal review, leadership, communication, career development, collaboration and self-advocacy.
Global Surgery Rotations
As increased travel, migration and transnational cooperation shrinks the world into one global community, the Ohio State Department of Surgery aims to foster the training and development of students, residents and faculty who are prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of the modern era. During PGY4, our residents have a unique opportunity to participate in one-month international elective rotations in either a high-income country or a low- and middle-income country setting. By offering this opportunity, we hope to help develop our students, residents and faculty into global citizens and to become a global leader in promoting safe surgical care in underserved communities at home and abroad, through partnerships in education, training, research and innovation
To learn more, visit wexnermedical.osu.edu/departments/surgery/education/residency/global-surgery.
The Operative Coaching Project
The training format allows dedicated observation of a resident during surgery in the operating room (OR) by an experienced surgeon or “coach,” who then provides procedure-specific suggestions, as well as constructive comments related to the resident’s performance, such as OR management skill, small procedural changes and potentially negative habits that can be corrected before becoming ingrained. Following a coaching session, the attending surgeon, coach and resident each fill out what’s known as the Surgical Entrustable Professional Activities (SEPAs) evaluation form to assess the resident’s operative performance and entrustment of independent practice. PGY4 residents have one to two coaching sessions a year, while PGY5 chief residents complete six coaching sessions. Residents can also request coaching sessions of procedures they are interested in, ensuring that their experience matches their goals.
To learn more, visit medicine.osu.edu/departments/surgery/education/residency/or-coaching-project.
Residency Wellness Program
Long duty hours and stress are inherent during residency years. Our Residency Wellness Program provides a department-sponsored way to plan fun events that build comradery and give residents a chance to recharge. One such activity, Resident Appreciation Day, is held annually at Cedar Point, the famed amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Residents are given a full 24 hours off from any clinical duties and travel together on a charter bus. Another significant wellness event held annually is a post-American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) group outing to Scene 75 in Columbus, the largest indoor entertainment center in the country with go-carts, laser tag, batting cages, arcade games and food. Additional wellness activities include a Halloween pumpkin carving contest, as well as a Resident Thanksgiving for anyone without a place to go for the holiday. These are just a few examples of all the ways we support our residents’ well-being throughout their training.