Drexel University College of Medicine

Rotations

• Year 1

  The main goal of the first year is to teach the principles of pre- and postoperative care in general surgery, to initiate experience in the management of trauma, and to provide experience in the surgical subspecialties. Half the year is spent on general surgery and trauma services, and half is spent rotating on the urology, plastic surgery, orthopedics, and transplantation services. The basics of pediatric pre- and postoperative care are also taught via rotation through the pediatric surgery service at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

• Year 2

  The emphasis in the second year of training is on critical care and the acquisition of operative skills. Training in critical care is provided by SICU rotations, by the management of acute cardiac and neurosurgical patients in ICU settings, and through the care of burn patients in a specialized burn critical care ward.

• Year 3

  At the PGY3 level, opportunities are provided to develop independent clinical judgment, to sharpen one’s diagnostic skills, and to begin the acquisition of more sophisticated operative skills. The PGY-3 resident becomes the consulting resident on the general surgery services at Hahnemann University Hospital, Saint Peter's University Hospital and Aria Health–Torresdale.

• Year 4

  Along with emphasis on operative skills, the senior year is designed to build independence and leadership skills. The PGY4 functions as the chief resident for the transplantation service and the night float service at Hahnemann University Hospital, and is the chief resident at Aria Health–Torresdale and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. These rotations, combined with a chief resident at Saint Peter's University Hospital, provide a broad experience in general surgery and vascular surgery at a senior level.

• Year 5

  During the final year of clinical training, the chief resident manages the general surgery services at Hahnemann University Hospital and Saint Peter’s University Hospital. The main goals of the chief year are to:

  • Become familiar with the complex clinical problems that constitute the basis of tertiary referrals.
  • Develop a well-organized multisystem approach to complex problems.
  • Assume leadership of the surgery team with responsibility for both patient care and resident/medical student education.

  All chief residents share administrative responsibilities for the residency program on a rotating basis.

Conferences

The educational program offered at Hahnemann University Hospital is designed to offer direct hands-on learning grounded in a formal educational program that teaches clinical surgery and the basic science principles that underlie it. Our major teaching conferences are described below.

GRAND ROUNDS
Grand Rounds are held on Tuesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. in the New College Building, 1st floor Geary Auditorium A. This conference is organized and managed by the residents. The format is case presentations followed by questions posed to the faculty regarding case management.

VISITING PROFESSORS
Periodically, visiting professors are invited as guests of the chair. These distinguished individuals are nationally and internationally known surgeons with fields of interest representing the scope of general surgery and its specialties.

BASIC SCIENCE LECTURE SERIES
This weekly conference represents a protected resident time following grand rounds. The goal is to review the basic science principles that underlie clinical surgery. This conference is intended to focus each resident’s independent study for his/her American Board of Surgery In-Service Training Exam (ABSITE).

MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY CONFERENCE
Each hospital in the residency program conducts a weekly M&M conference. Constructive discussion about potentially avoidable complications remains a cornerstone of the educational program.

SERVICE CONFERENCES AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCES
Each service at Hahnemann University Hospital conducts its own weekly service conference. In addition, multidisciplinary conferences (i.e., GI conference, hepatobiliary conference, tumor board, vascular conference and trauma conference) are conducted weekly at Hahnemann Hospital.

ORAL BOARD REVIEW & MOCK ORAL EXAMINATION
This conference is designed to prepare senior residents for the certifying examination of the American Board of Surgery. Additionally, there is a formal mock oral examination administered by the department faculty annually.

Conference Schedule

Research

Research is an integral component of our residency program. The goal is to provide an opportunity to explore laboratory research as a unique aspect of academic surgery. Because it takes time to become familiar with the laboratory setting, to set up a working model, and to collect and analyze data, at least two years of research is encouraged to complete a body of investigative work. Residents in research have the opportunity to present their work at national meetings and to develop a special relationship with faculty mentors.

Areas of basic research in well-established laboratories include gallbladder electrophysiology and gallstone formation, vascular reactivity in arteriosclerosis, oxygen radical injury during myocardial reperfusion, pneumocyte and fibroblast function in ARDS, growth factors in tumor biology and wound healing, and the molecular biology of graft-specific tolerance in allograft and xenograft models. Our special relationship with Drexel University has also opened new and exciting opportunities.