General Surgery Residency| Baltimore | MedStar Health

The MedStar Health (Baltimore) Residency Program in General Surgery

The faculty of MedStar Health General Surgery Program in Baltimore, wear masks and stand together for a photo outside of the Surgical Pavillion at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center.

We are an independent surgical training program that is uniquely able to offer a diverse training experience, both in and out of the operating room. Our goal is to develop surgeons who lead in clinical excellence and deliver extraordinary patient care.

Our residents are trained by the best surgical educators across the city. They rotate throughout the MedStar Health hospitals in Baltimore as well as the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the University of Maryland. Our residents graduate with more than 1,000 cases and at least 300 major cases in their chief resident year. Our graduates often seek fellowships and match in their desired field.

Why train here

Surgery lectureship

We have an annual visiting professor lectureship that occurs each November. Each year we invite a surgeon, nationally recognized in their field, to spend time with us, meet our residents and faculty, participate in our teaching sessions, tour our facility, and to deliver a talk on a topic of their choosing. The lectureship was made possible through a charitable donation from the family of L. Craig Fulmer of Elkhart, Indiana.

Operative experience

Our residents easily complete 1000-1200 major cases by the end of their PGY-5 year. As there are no fellows in the General Surgery Program at our Medstar Baltimore hospitals, residents cover cases early on in their PGY-1 year and operative involvement increases dramatically with experience. Our hospitals have dedicated hybrid ORs for vascular surgery as well as robotic operating rooms with dual teaching counsels.

Curriculum

The diversity of clinical exposures, research opportunities, and training environments creates an educational paradigm few programs can match. The clinical training offered through this program includes but is not limited to:

  • PGY-1

    At the beginning of the year, there is a one-day boot camp to start with informed consent, knot tying, pig feet suturing, and central line insertion to provide orientation for the new interns. For the remainder of the year, we simulate surgical problems such as postoperative MI, hematoma, narcotic overdose, and tension pneumothorax. Interns also learn procedures such as intubation, central line placement, and biopsy skills. Once competent, they can perform these procedures when needed on patients. In addition, megacodes are conducted several times throughout the year. This enables residents to practice ACLS skills in a controlled environment while receiving real-time feedback from senior residents and attendings.

  • PGY-2 and PGY-3

    Courses in operative skills such as laparotomy, carotid endarterectomy, and open AAA repair are offered to junior residents. Time is set aside to begin working on FLS competency. As their skills improve, junior residents begin teaching procedural skills and mega-codes to the interns. Residents begin gaining hands on endovascular experience at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, and Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital as part of the multi-disciplinary limb salvage team. Residents also have the opportunity for a value-added year to further their pursuits in research and other categories.

  • PGY-4 and PGY-5

    Senior residents perfect their robotic skills and required modules for robotic certification. They also proctor and teach interns and junior residents. Laparoscopic and robotic simulators are available for advanced surgical procedures such as minimal invasive complex hernia repairs, hepato-biliary procedures, and colectomies.

Rotations

Rotations by year (1 block = 4 weeks)*

PGY-1

General Surgery 8 blocks MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
General Surgery 2 blocks MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
Vascular Surgery 1 block MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
ICU 1 block MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Night Float 1 block MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital

PGY-2

General Surgery 8 blocks  MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
General Surgery 2 blocks MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
ICU 1 block MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Cardiovascular ICU 1 block  Johns Hopkins Hospital
Trauma Surgery 1 block University of Maryland Medical Shock Trauma Center

PGY-3

General Surgery  8 blocks MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Vascular Surgery 3 blocks MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
Pediatric Surgery 1 block University of Maryland
Transplant Surgery 1 block Johns Hopkins Hospital

PGY-4

General Surgery 11 blocks  MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
General Surgery 1 block MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
Elective 1 block TBD

PGY-5

General Surgery 10 blocks  MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
General Surgery 3 blocks MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital

* The schedule above is presented as an example. Distribution of clinical rotations varies, depending on resident complements.

See our team in action

Research

Residents are involved in varying facets of clinical research, from clinical case reports to retrospective reviews of institutional and national databases. Residents have the opportunity for an additional research year after PGY2. Our REI (Research Education Initiative) is a year-round research curriculum that encourages our residents to be active clinical researchers.

Training locations

The General Surgery Residency Program is based out of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. Surgery residents also spend time at other hospitals located in Baltimore, including:

  • MedStar Union Memorial Hospital (Vascular)
  • The Johns Hopkins Hospital - Main Campus (Trauma and Transplant)
  • The Johns Hopkins Hospital – Main Campus (CVSICU)
  • University of Maryland Medical Center (Pediatrics)
  • University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center (Trauma)

Application information

Interested in applying?

Contact us

For more information about the MedStar Baltimore General Surgery Residency, please contact:

Sheryl Matthews

Sheryl Matthews
Phone: 443-777-7635
Email: Sheryl.R.Matthews@MedStar.net
Instagram: @MedstarBaltimoreSurgery
Twitter: @MedStarBaltSurg