Core Curriculum Lectures

Core Curriculum - Friday Morning Resident Didactics

Core Curriculum lectures take place every Friday morning from 7:00am–10:00am. This is established protected time for all surgical residents to be excused from all clinical duties for the full duration of these educational sessions. These weekly sessions are teleconferenced to affiliate hospitals, enabling participation of all applicable residents.

7:00am - 7:45am - Basic Science Lecture

7:45am - 8:30am - ABSITE Review

8:30am - 9:00am - Journal Club

9:00am – 10:00am- Freestyle

Once a month we will have a Surgical Skills Lab after Basic Science that will run from 7:45am-10am.

The Basic Science Lecture covers a variety of topics. Similar to the Team Conferences, residents present and lead discussion, and faculty members assist as facilitators.

The ABSITE Review is a topic-based, focused, high-yield session run by the residents that takes place on a weekly basis, reviewing material for the ABSITE Examination. Residents present practical questions on the topics covered in the Basic Science lecture utilizing the SCORE curriculum and other pertinent resources. A smartphone polling software is also used during conference with sample questions that are interactive and geared toward helping them prepare for ABSITE.  On a quarterly basis, residents hold review sessions to go over topics for the exam based on the polling software data that has been compiled over recent months. 

Journal Club is where residents discuss and critically evaluate the latest peer-reviewed articles in general surgery. It serves as a forum for updates to what is being studied in the field as well as a lesson on critical appraisal of the medical literature. Selected articles are made available to all residents via an established Google Drive, allowing residents adequate preparation time for each session’s materials.

Surgical Boot Camp

The Surgical Boot Camp is a three-day surgical skills session for incoming surgical interns covering basic surgical skills and radiology, floor management principles and professionalism. This camp was designed, implemented and executed by surgical residents as teachers. The primary purpose of the boot camp is to raise the confidence levels of interns in performing technical skills, managing emergent situations, pain management, as well as teaching professionalism, and improving medical knowledge. The surgical boot camp prepares interns for their daily duties and gives them a solid foot hold from early on allowing them to move forward in their training rapidly, despite duty hour restrictions. This camp will be expanded in the upcoming years to include a cadaveric and anatomic component as well as simulation emergency care management.

Surgical Skills Curriculum

All surgical residents are allotted protected-time from clinical duties to attend formal mandatory simulation-based surgical skills courses which take place on a monthly basis on Friday mornings. The skills curriculum is based on the ACS/APDS (Association of Program Directors in Surgery) Surgery Skills Curriculum for residents. The skills sessions cover a range of topics including basic surgical and laparoscopic skills to more advanced practices including vascular techniques and colorectal surgery with both inanimate and animate models. This session incorporates surgical simulation technology with increased difficulty at each progressive session.

Robotic Surgery Skills Curriculum

The Robotic Surgery Curriculum is designed to provide surgical residents with an integrated approach of computer-based learning modules and hands-on training. The curriculum provides all residents with basic knowledge of robotically assisted laparoscopy, its instrumentation, system components, and troubleshooting techniques through a computer based testing. It also provides residents with a dry lab to familiarize themselves with the components and instrumentation of the robotic operating system and its uses.

Minimally Invasive Surgery Animal Laboratory

As part of the Minimally Invasive Surgery curriculum to teach and enhance residents' laparoscopic skills, four laboratory sessions have been added to the curriculum for the PGY 2-5 years. Using a porcine model, residents will have the opportunity to perform a variety of advanced laparoscopic procedures, including splenectomy, nephrectomy, cholecystectomy, and Nissen fundoplication. Faculty will supervise and enhance the residents' learning by observing and instructing. The goal for these sessions is that by performing routine laparoscopic surgeries, the surgical residents will become more familiar and confident in their skill set.