Didactic training

Clinical conferences, seminars, small discussion groups, journal clubs, and one-on-one instruction are integral parts of the General Surgery Residency. All residents are required to attend our weekly morbidity and mortality conferences and Monday evening Grand Rounds. Friday morning sessions are held every other week in both simulation and surgical skills centers to enhance resident learning.

During each subspecialty rotation, you also attend that subspecialty's weekly schedule of journal clubs, didactic presentations, and conferences dealing with patient management problems, mortality, and morbidity.

You are encouraged to attend regional or national general surgery meetings sponsored by Mayo Clinic, and most residents attend the Minnesota Surgical Society meeting one or more times in the five-year period.

Other didactic training during the residency includes:

• Surgical basic science program. You receive basic science instruction in topics such as wound healing, immunology, infections, and organ system pathophysiology. All residents are expected to attend this weekly session held on Monday afternoons before the chief resident conference.
• Trauma, critical care, and general surgery. Your PGY-1 trauma, critical care, and general surgery rotation includes formal lectures as well as daily informal sessions on any number of topics in trauma and critical care. Mayo trauma, critical care, and general surgery staff members (board certified in both critical care and general surgery) actively participate in educating residents and students about all facets of trauma and critical care.
• Surgical critical care program. During PGY-1 and PGY-2, your surgical critical care rotations include daily learning about the fundamentals of critical care management. Mayo Clinic has a high volume of tertiary care patients, so you have broad exposure to nearly all aspects of critical care. Additional senior-level rotations in cardiothoracic, vascular, pediatric, and general surgery allow residents to mature their intensive care unit skills and care over the ensuing three years.
• Advanced Trauma Life Support certification. As a PGY-1 resident, you have the opportunity to become certified in the American College of Surgeons' Advanced Trauma Life Support program. A recertification course is offered during PGY-3.