What attracted you to Mayo Clinic for residency training?

"I knew I wanted to train in a program with like-minded individuals that shared my same passion for surgery, research, and medical education while putting the needs of the patient first. As a preliminary resident in 2019, I quickly learned how invested my co-residents, fellows, and faculty alike were in my training as a surgeon. This comradery provided an incredible learning environment to foster the skills I needed to be successful during my intern year, and it will ultimately support me through the rest of my residency training at Mayo."

Hometown: Irvine, California

Medical school: St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies

Current location: Categorical PGY1 position at General Surgery, Mayo Clinic

What one piece of advice would you give to medical student applicants?

"Choosing a residency program is one of the most important decisions all medical student make. Doing away rotations or research at your preferred institution will give you the opportunity to understand whether the residency program is right for you. I never thought coming from London, England, that I would be doing my residency at Mayo Clinic, but my research time here convinced me that it was the ultimate program to go to for surgical training."

Hometown: London, United Kingdom

Medical school: Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Current location: Categorical PGY2 General Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Florida

Describe your preliminary year at Mayo Clinic. 

"It was fast and challenging year. We were 12 prelim residents, and we all worked together and as a team. It was a healthy competition. We used to practice for Friday SIM sessions and Surgical Olympics to get better every day. I used to practice with a stopwatch to increase and improve my laparoscopic skills. We turned into the best surgical residents." 

Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan 

Medical school: Dow Medical College

Current location: Categorical PGY2 Position at General Surgery Mayo Clinic

What makes Mayo Clinic's General Surgery Residency unique?

"The combination of autonomy and supervision makes this program unique. The attending‘s are extremely experienced and therefore are always available to teach and perform surgical procedures."

Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan 

Medical school: Liaquat National Medical College

Current location: Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic

What attracted you to Mayo Clinic for residency training?

"The robust simulation center caught my attention first. Later, it was the way they integrate interns early into the OR and the apprenticeship model. Mayo is a big program. A main worry going in was wondering if I would 'get lost' in their program. Their model means that each consultant service is built of a three-individual team of attending, senior [chief/fellow], then you, as the junior. This means that Mayo has all the benefits of a large program with its resources and infrastructure, while also all the benefits of a small one, with focused attention to learning and training for every individual resident."

Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland

Medical school: Ross University School of Medicine

Current location: Categorical PGY1 position at Carle Foundation Hospital in Champaign, IL

Why did you choose Mayo Clinic for residency training?

"It’s the No. 1 medical facility known to man. The training is high quality, I like Rochester, and the faculty are fantastic. The preceptor model is a huge boon to residents. You go into the OR often and early. Even interns get plenty of opportunities to operate and develop their basic surgical skills. I was surprised at how much the residents participate in extremely complex surgical procedures that are generally considered ‘attending only’ or fellowship level."

Hometown: Kochi, India

Medical school: Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences

Current location: Prelim PGY2 at Maricopa/Creighton, Arizona