General Surgery Residency Program

Education

Overview

The Mount Sinai Department of Surgery offers a wide range of resources to support residents academic pursuits and professional development. The department encourages resident participation and presentation in national meetings and finances travel expenses. Fourth–year residents attend the spring meeting of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), and all Chief Residents have the opportunity to attend the ACS fall meeting.

Residents receive access to the Gustave L. and Janet W. Levy Library. Online resources include 89 databases, such as Medline/PubMed and AccessMedicine, and more than 11,000 full-text e–journals.

Resident Library

Residents have 24-hour access to the Resident Library, conveniently located near the operating rooms. The library offers:

• Audio-visual equipment
• Computer terminals with high–speed Internet access
• Journals
• Laparoscopic trainers for honing minimally invasive surgical skills
• Textbooks

Surgical Simulation Center

A Simulation Center has been established that is equipped with laparoscopic and endoscopic simulators, inanimate models, as well as web–based learning modules. Residents are provided with protected time of 4 hours every two weeks for mandatory sessions in the Simulation Center to encourage the mastery of surgical techniques. Progress of the residents is monitored and followed by the Program Director during the sessions, as well as with defined metrics, and residents are provided with regular feedback regarding their performance. Faculty members are available during the scheduled training sessions to instruct residents on appropriate surgical techniques. In addition, junior and senior residents are intermingled in their assigned training sessions to simulate collaboration in performing various surgical procedures.

Resident Work Hours

Mount Sinai strictly adheres to the resident work hour guidelines mandated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and New York State law. Specific limitations on resident work hours can be found at www.acgme.org under "resident duty hours."

The following guidelines apply to residents schedules:

• Residents will not be at the hospital more than 80 hours per week.
• All residents will receive one day off per week.
• Call periods will not exceed 24 hours.
• Residents will have call no more than once per 72–hour period.

These guidelines apply to all resident levels.

During the first year, call schedules vary by affiliate site and surgical service. Call typically varies from once every three days to once every six, with post–call days always off. Some specialty services (Urology and Plastic Surgery) do not require in-house call, but first–year residents will take call from home and report to the hospital if required.

At Mount Sinai, Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners assist first- and second-year residents with routine care, which maximizes operating and learning opportunities for residents.