General Surgery Residency
About Our General Surgery Residency
The Lahey General Surgery Residency Program provides comprehensive training under the mentorship of 80 full-time faculty members, who are dedicated to developing five categorical general surgery residents each year. Our program equips residents with the essential skills and knowledge to become proficient, independent general surgeons.
In addition to mastering general surgery, all residents are deeply involved in academic pursuits, with an educational curriculum integrated into the weekly program. Mentorship is a core aspect of our culture, with faculty members who expertly balance busy clinical practices with significant academic contributions.
With all aspects of patient care — outpatient clinics, hospital facilities and operating rooms — conveniently located under one roof, our residents are fully immersed in the continuum of care, from initial evaluation through operative procedures, postoperative care and follow-up. In areas where specialized care is concentrated, such as penetrating trauma and pediatric surgery, our residents gain invaluable experience through rotations at leading regional centers, ensuring broad exposure to diverse surgical cases.
Clinical Focus
Under the supervision of attending staff, residents assume increased responsibility as they progress through the program, including teaching junior residents and medical students. The combination of an active emergency surgery service (which includes 1,500 trauma admissions per year), a community-based practice and wide tertiary referral base, ensures that each resident will see a high volume and a broad range of cases.
The hospital is well staffed with 24-hour ancillary support, minimizing non-clinical work. Overnight on-call responsibility is limited due to the implementation of a night float system.
A diverse and comprehensive conference schedule features Lahey Clinic staff and invited outside experts. Residents are expected to take an active part in the learning process by becoming involved in research and giving educational conferences.
Learn More About Our Program
Surgical subspecialties and services are important components of the general surgical education. The majority of the program — and all of the fifth year — involve the areas of general surgery listed below. During training, residents rotate through the entire range of surgical subspecialties.
Colon & Rectal Surgery
The Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery provides the complete spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic services for diseases of the colon, rectum and anus. A multidisciplinary Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease involves specialists in colon and rectal surgery and gastroenterology.
An accredited training program in colon and rectal surgery — leading to board certification—is a part of the overall effort of this specialty. General surgery residents will take an active part in this discipline.
Visit the colon and rectal surgery residency program page for more information.
Surgical Critical Care
This multidisciplinary department has three physicians representing specialties in surgery, anesthesiology and internal medicine/pulmonary medicine.
The SICU rotation consists of:
- Daily bedside teaching
- Didactic lectures
- Directed study to provide clinical experience in the care of critically ill and injured patients
Residents will acquire the fundamental knowledge and technical skills necessary to diagnose and manage acute, life-threatening single-organ dysfunction as well as complex multisystem failure.
Visit Surgical Critical Care for more information.
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Lahey’s cardiothoracic surgeons perform a broad variety of procedures in adult cardiac and general thoracic surgery. Residents receive rich experience in the treatment of benign and malignant conditions of the lung, pleura, chest wall, mediastinum and esophagus as well as the AICD treatment of arrhythmias.
General surgery residents have primary patient care responsibilities in the ICU, Stepdown Unit, and the regular patient care floors and will be involved in both cardiac and general thoracic surgical procedures.
Visit Thoracic & Cardiothoracic Surgery for more information.
Vascular Surgery
Vascular surgery provides care for the full range of vascular surgical disorders. Vascular surgeons work closely with the medical vascular service and the neurology department.
Residents are integrally involved in preoperative, operative and postoperative inpatient care, and in post-hospital follow-up.
Residents learn preoperative evaluation and postoperative surveillance techniques in the outpatient clinic and are encouraged to become involved in a clinical project leading to publication.
Visit Vascular Surgery for more information.
Liver & Transplant Program
At Lahey Clinic, we have a strong foundation for excellence in liver transplantation. Roger L. Jenkins, MD, FACS, performed the first liver transplant in New England in July 1983. Since then, significant technological advancements in surgery, preoperative assessment and postoperative care have resulted in the ability to perform more complicated and innovative procedures safely.
We are one of the nation’s leading centers for adult liver transplants. Together with physicians at Boston Children’s Hospital, we perform a number of pediatric transplants as well.
Our transplant surgeons are among the most experienced in the nation at performing live donor liver transplant surgeries.
Our multidisciplinary team of transplant surgeons, hepatologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, nurses, social workers, psychiatrists, financial coordinators and others expertly provides fully coordinated pre- and post-transplant care. Throughout the entire transplant process, these health care professionals are with patients and their families, providing medical care, emotional support, financial coordination and much more.
Visit the Organ Transplantation page for more information.
How To Apply
Applicants are selected for interviews after a thorough review of their complete applications. Residents are selected from a large applicant pool.
We only accept applications through the ERAS electronic application submittal system.
Eligibility
We encourage all prospective applicants to apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) system. Lahey consistently attracts a competitive pool of candidates, and our selection criteria may be tailored based on the applicant pool each year. Thank you for your interest in our program.
Contact Information
For more information, please email Stacey Walsh, Program Coordinator.
Rotation Schedule
PGY-1
- Acute Care Surgery/Trauma
- Elective General Surgery/MIS
- Vascular Surgery
- Colorectal
- Breast
- Night Float
- Transplant
PGY-2
- Acute Care Surgery/Trauma
- Elective Genral Surgery/MIS
- Vascular Surgery
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Night Float
- Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- Community Hospital Surgery
- Ask us about our optional research year
- 1 or 2 year opportunity for a resident to go out to perform research
PGY-3
- Acute Care Surgery/Trauma
- Elective Genral Surgery/MIS
- Vascular Surgery
- Colorectal Surgery
- Pediatric Surgery
- Night Float
- Trauma Surgery Away Rotation
- Community Hospital Surgery
- Elective Rotation
PGY-4
- Acute Care Surgery/Trauma
- Elective General Surgery/MIS
- Vascular Surgery
- Colorectal Surgery
- Hepatobiliary Surgery
- Community Hospital Surgery
- Elective Rotation
- Night Float
- Endoscopy
PGY-5
- Acute Care Surgery/Trauma
- Elective General Surgery/MIS
- Vascular Surgery
- Colorectal Surgery
- Hepatobiliary Surgery
- Community Hospital Surgery
- Breast Surgery
- Elective Rotation
Descriptions
- Acute Care Surgery/Trauma: 24/7 in house attending coverage with a busy Level 1 trauma center with emergency surgery service responsibilities for general and colorectal surgery coverage.
- Elective General Surgery/MIS: Tertiary referral center for endocrine surgery, bariatric surgery, gastric cancer, esophageal disorders and abdominal wall reconstruction.
- Vascular Surgery: Open and endovascular surgery, vascular access, fistula creation and revision.
- Colon and Rectal Surgery: High-volume tertiary referral service with a wide array of pathology and techniques including laparoscopic, robotic, trans-anal and complex revisional.
- Breast Surgery: Dedicated month for breast clinic and breast surgery (inpatient and outpatient).
- Hepatobiliary and Transplant: Complex hepatobiliary and pancreas, organ procurement, liver and kidney transplantation, liver and kidney living donor transplantation.
- Community Hospital Surgery: High volume general and specialty surgery at busy local community hospitals.
- Surgical Intensive Care Unit: Two-month rotation in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit.
- Pediatric Surgery: Two-month rotation at Boston Children’s Hospital.
- Trauma Surgery Away Rotation: Two-month rotation at R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
- Endoscopy: Opportunity for dedicated clinical time to work with GI and Surgery attendings to improve upper and lower endoscopy skills.
- Elective: Opportunity to pursue additional experience in area of interest locally or at an outside hospital.
