Message from Dr. Sarosi:

Department of Surgery Program Director

Welcome to General Surgery Residency Training Program in the Department of Surgery at the University of Florida. As you peruse this site, we trust that you will see the outstanding General Surgery training experience that the University of Florida offers!

The purpose of our program is to create a learning environment that focuses on objective-driven education to challenge learners and encourage critical thinking. An excellent didactic program provides the structure to acquire the depth and breadth of knowledge that will serve as the foundation for sound surgical judgment and evidence-based solutions. With a sound fund of knowledge our surgical trainee’s are prepared to deliver excellent patient care for the great diversity of patients seen at the University of Florida.

Our didactic program is structured to meet the specific needs of trainees at different stages of education. Surgery 101 is a course for the PGY 1 resident who requires a broad-based introduction to surgical pathobiology and clinical problems. Our second-year residents are enrolled in Surgery 201, which is focused on the care of patients with urgent, emergent medical conditions, and critical care. Surgery 401 provides a structured learning environment in which our PGY 3 and 4 residents critically examine time-honored and current surgical literature. The goal is to provide these mid-level learners with the tools to practice evidence based surgery for a lifetime.  Our chief residents participate in a self-designed, biweekly program, Surgery 501, in which the finer points of complex surgical problems are closely examined under the guidance of an experienced faculty member. In addition to our level-specific didactic programs, the core competencies are regularly discussed by the Chair, Program Director and residents. These crucial topics often receive too little attention in standard texts, but they serve as a foundation by which we are evaluated. These mandatory weekly educational sessions provide a structured format to supplement the intense reading program each trainee pursues independently.

In addition to a strong didactic program, we strengthen and test technical skills in the dry laboratory and through hands-on training sessions. We also provide state-of-the art surgical simulation that will prepare residents to practice surgery in the future. Although sound clinical skills emanate from an excellent fund of knowledge and superior clinical assessment, the highly trained general surgery resident at the University of Florida benefits from individual technical instruction from many master surgeons. We seek to optimize clinical training such that each trainee experiences the vast scope of general surgical operations. Therefore, each trainee will meet and, in many cases, exceed the ACGME requirements for index cases.

We recognize that individuals choose general surgical training for different reasons and, therefore, have different goals. We strive to meet the individual interests of each trainee while adhering to the requirements set forth by governing bodies. If you wish to become an excellent community general surgeon or choose to devote additional years to surgical science and pursue an academic career, the training program at the University of Florida can meet your needs.

As an academic department in a research intensive medial school eight faculty members in the Department of Surgery are NIH-funded and two training grants exist; one in the Laboratory of Inflammation Biology and Surgical Science and one in the Laboratory of Signal Transduction and Cancer. These training grants allow surgical residents two years of salary-protected time to study in their chosen field of research. All residents are required to complete a scholarly project during their course of training and either present this work at a local or national meeting or publish their work.  This project can be performed while spending additional years in a focused scholarly activity, or during the course of the resident’s clinical training.  On average two of our five residents will spend time in a laboratory experience, and three residents to-date have earned Ph.D. degrees during their research experiences.  Many of our trainees chose to extend their training through fellowship programs, and we seek to prepare trainees to obtain the most competitive positions.

In summary, our mission is to provide the best general surgical training by inculcating highly motivated learners with a sound fund of knowledge that translates into superb clinical judgment and expert technical skill. Importantly, we instill in our trainees a purpose and commitment to the patient, confidence based on self-education for lifelong learning, and professionalism that will allow them to adapt to the ever-changing environment of general surgery. We welcome your consideration of our program and are excited that you have chosen a stimulating career in general surgery.