GENERAL SURGERY RESIDENCY PROGRAM

HIGHLIGHTS: GENERAL SURGERY RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Eric D Pinnar M.D.
"As a resident, I'm involved in clinical research, which has allowed me to publish papers on many extraordinary cases."

Program Highlights

The tradition of excellence established by Dr. Guthrie over 80 years ago continues in our General Surgery Residency program. This is an exciting time in surgical training. New, emerging technologies are being integrated into traditional surgical practice. Maintaining the tradition of surgical excellence while preparing the resident to provide the next generation of care is our mission. And we are uniquely positioned to fulfill this mission.

As a General Surgery resident at Guthrie, you will receive solid training in all traditional areas of general and vascular surgery while learning to master new techniques like advanced laparoscopic surgery, endovascular surgery and surgical ultrasound. Surgical critical care and trauma management, particularly the management of complex multisystem trauma, is integrated throughout the training program. Because we have no subspecialty training programs, as a general surgery resident you will have the added bonus of exposure to a wide variety of subspecialty cases in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Urology, Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery. Unlike bigger academic centers, you will learn directly from the attending staff in these specialties and will participate in all aspects of care including operative care. The clinical exposure is considerably beyond most general surgery training programs, making depth as well as breadth the hallmark of a Guthrie trained surgeon.

At Guthrie we believe research is an integral part of surgical education. Residents have opportunities to participate in both clinical as well as basic science research. The Guthrie Research Foundation, which is located on campus, is central to the research experience of residents in the Guthrie Surgery Program. Presenting at regional and national meetings, as well as submitting papers to peer review journals is encouraged. Administrative, technical, and financial support is available at Guthrie to foster these efforts by surgery residents.

The faculty of the General Surgery Residency Program is committed to education. All cases admitted to the surgical service are teaching cases. The faculty are full-time and on-site. They devote a significant portion of their time to undergraduate and graduate medical teaching. Teaching is through rounds, conferences, and in the operating room. The faculty is immediately available to and accessible by residents at all levels of training.

Robert Packer Hospital is a sophisticated, tertiary rural medical center. The facility includes a modern operating suite and intensive care units. The hospital receives many complex referrals, sent here for specialty care from surrounding communities. In addition to general surgical training, the hospital is also the primary teaching facility for family practice and internal medicine residencies.

Guthrie's General Surgery Residency Program consists of seven first-year positions (three are categorical and four are preliminary), and three positions in each subsequent year, including the chief resident year. Graduates from the Guthrie program are well prepared and compete effectively for postgraduate surgical fellowships.

After they complete their residencies, many of our residents go on to complete Fellowships in Trauma / Critical Care, Vascular, Plastic Surgery, or Surgical Oncology. Our records from the last twenty years show that about half of our residents pursue a career in private practice, while the other half continue their training in a fellowship. Listed below is a summary of the graduates over the past 7 years:

Trauma/Critical Care Fellowship		1
Vascular Surgery Fellowship		4
Plastic Surgery		2
Surgical Oncology Fellowship		1
Minimally Invasive Surgery		2
Breast Fellowship		1
Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship		1
Private Practice		6