Categorical Block Schedule
Our curriculum is designed to provide the Faxton-St Luke’s General Surgery resident with a robust clinical experience both in and out of the OR. The first two years of training focus on the art and science of surgery and the development of technical skills under the direct supervision of board certified surgeons. Responsibilities include evaluation and planning for treatment of patients in the clinic, floor and ICU settings, attendance at rounds and conferences, and operating experience. During the 3rd year, residents transition from junior to senior residency, adding into their experiences the opportunity to teach junior residents minor procedures and increasing their day-to-day management into their 4th year. As a Chief Resident during the 5th year of training, residents are expected to run the service and take on a level of autonomy under the supervision of their attending.
Our categorical residents are split up into 5 different teams. While all residents at all levels participate in general surgery, each team working on a service together also participate in the patient care, teaching and operative experience of specialized surgical services.
- White team – based out of Faxton-St Luke’s Hospital, this team focuses on general, abdominal, breast, endoscopic, minimally invasive, bariatric and colorectal surgery. (16 blocks)
- Blue team – based out of Faxton-St. Luke’s Hospital, this team focuses on general, MS, colorectal, head & neck, endocrine, abdominal, robotic and endoscopic surgery. Residents will also spend time with the anesthesia team, learning about the pathophysiology of pain management and principals of airway and intraoperative management. (21 blocks)
- Gold team – based out of St. Elizabeth Medical Center, this team focuses on general, vascular, thoracic, MS, ENT and endocrine surgery. (4 blocks)
- Green team – based out of SUNY Upstate Medical Center, this team focuses on hepatobiliary and pediatric surgeries. Residents will also spend time with the burn unit and the transplant team. (6 blocks)
- Trauma team – based out of St. Elizabeth Medical Center, this team focuses on both operative and non-operative cases in a Level III Trauma Center. (10 blocks)
- SICU team – based out of St. Elizabeth Medical Center, this team focuses on critical care. (3 blocks)
Didactics
Didactics will be held every Wednesday and will be based on the SCORE curriculum covering general surgery, trauma, acute care and sub-specialty topics. These conferences will include a mixture of lectures, case presentations, small group discussions and skill-based workshops.
In addition to the core lecture series, there will be weekly outpatient teaching clinics for acute care, general surgery and a multidisciplinary breast clinic; as well as a monthly trauma multidisciplinary and performance improvement seminar; monthly journal club; monthly grand rounds; and quarterly joint educational conferences with the Emergency Department and Trauma M&M Case Review committee. Residents will also participate in an annual disaster drill and post drill hot wash/after action review.
Scholarly Activity
Residents are required to complete a scholarly project during their training, as well as a quality improvement initiative. While Faxton-St Luke’s does not participate in any clinical or bench research, this scholarly project may consist of an original paper, a scholarly case report, a community-based project or an educational curriculum. Residents will present their findings to their peers during Grand Rounds and are encouraged to submit their papers for publication.
All Categorical General Surgery residents will be paired with a mentor that matches their interest and will have protected time for scholarly activity during various blocks. The mentor will work with the Program Director to set guidelines and due dates throughout the five years of training to ensure any and all projects are advancing at an appropriate rate.
