General Surgery Residency Program - New Applicant Questions

Does the program accept applications for the academic year 2012/13?

Yes. Our program is accredited by the ACGME for training in General Surgery and we will accept two PGY-I residents for the upcoming 2012-13 academic year.

How many positions does the program have?

Does the program offer Non-categorical/Preliminary positions? 

How does one apply?

We participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). As such, to apply for a position as PGY-I in our program you must use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). At the current time we do not accept applications for PGY-I positions outside of the match.

What documents are needed for the application?

Besides the standard documentation required by ERAS/NRMP, your application should include:

- Your Curriculum Vitae and Personal Statement
- Three to four letters of recommendation, written within the last 6 months, at least two by a surgical specialist
- The Dean's letter and Medical School Transcripts
- USMLE Board scores for step 1 and 2 (or COMLEX)

What are the application deadlines?

The official deadline for ERAS application is December 30, 2006. We will begin looking at applications in September/October and conduct interviews throughout December and January. Results will be available with the match for general surgery.

Does this program sponsor FMG's/IMG's?

Yes, we sponsor qualified foreign medical graduates for our residency. Applicants must have a permanent residency (green card) or be eligible for a J-1 Visa and have a valid ECGME certificate. We currently do not sponsor H1-B and/or other visa.

All foreign medical students and American students who attended medical school outside of the continental U.S. must have valid ECFMG certification prior to commencement of their training. It is highly advisable to have fulfilled all necessary requirements by the ECFMG to obtain such certification prior to the date of program rank list submission to the NRMP. 

It is strongly preferred that FMG applicants have prior US clinical experience [rotations, sub-internships, research] and associated letters of recommendation from established US surgical specialists.  

Does this program accept osteopathic students / D.O's ?

We will accept applications from osteopathic students through ERAS.

What does the ideal candidate for this program look like?

The ideal candidate for our program has completed his/her medical school within the past five years.  If the applicant's graduation from medical school is not within the current academic year, he/she must show continued training or work in the clinical field or active involvement in research for that time.  

The ideal candidate has USMLE/COMLEX scores for steps 1 and 2 greater or equal 80% and plans to take the final step of the examination within one year of his/her residency training with equally good results. 

The ideal candidate for this program can make a convincing point of his/her desire and dedication to enter training and a career in surgery and/or related specialties.  Such dedication may be demonstrated by the applicant's personal statement, the Dean's letter, strong letters of recommendation by established surgical specialists and other extracurricular activities that support the applicants cause.

The ideal candidate demonstrates interest in scholarly pursuit.

The ideal candidate seeks high-level, broad-based surgical education at an academically affiliated, large community-based teaching hospital and is interested in supplementing his/her traditional surgical education with additional qualifications in business management, healthcare administration and epidemiology, research and/or clinical specialty training in trauma/critical care or minimally invasive surgery (see value-added year).

Where can I get more information?

For information on our comprehensive training program, including rotations, curricula and our unique value-added year of training, please visit the rest of our website at www.lifebridgehealth.org/surgeryresidency . (The site is currently undergoing a revision and not all pages may be active at the time of your first visit.  Please try again, as the revision should be completed by October). You may also browse the LifeBridge Health corporate website for more information on the hospital and its services and affiliations, at www.lifebridgehealth.org. If you have specific questions that are not answered by our online resources, please feel free to contact our program coordinator, Mrs. Jean Sturdivant at 410-601-6412 or sinairesidency@lifebridgehealth.org. Additional information is available on FREIDA and other official residency matching websites.

Application for residency training is an exciting time in your life. Choosing the right program is important to success in your career as a surgeon. We believe that our program should be at the top of your list. We wish you the best of luck as you embark on your surgical career.