Residents gain experience in all aspects of general surgery and its subspecialties. Residents graduate with approximately 1200 cases in their case logs. They will be comfortable operating in all of the ACGME defined categories from Skin and Soft Tissue to Thoracic Surgery and Abdominal Wall to Colon and Rectal Surgery and everything in between. After five clinical years of training at Jefferson, residents will be prepared to enter practice or to further develop their skills in the most competitive fellowships.

Every resident will complete at least one dedicated research year, typically between the PGY3 and PGY4 years of training. Two residents from each class will participate in two research years. Funding for the research years is provided by the program.

Residents have protected time for didactic education every Thursday. They have no clinical responsibilities during conference from 7AM to 11AM on Thursday mornings. Services are covered by physician extenders during this time.

The Thursday morning learning schedule begins with Morbidity and Mortality Committee followed by Grand Rounds. The remaining conference time is filled with case presentations, mock board preparation, ABSITE review, journal club, or skills training.

The Surgical Skills Lab provides resident with the resources to enhance their basic and advanced operative and endoscopy skills. In this lab, residents have the opportunity and resources to practice suturing and knot tying (open and laparoscopic), bowel and vascular anastomoses, simulated surgery and upper/lower endoscopy, bedside procedures, and endovascular techniques.

There is also a daVinci surgeon console available to learn and practice robotic skills. The Skills Lab is open and available to the residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.