General Surgery Residency - First Hill

Dedicated and Protected Education Time

Weekly Conferences

Chief Resident Conference

Chief Residents prepare daily content based on the SCORE curriculum in a variety of styles including lectures, labs, jeopardy, and debates. This conference also incorporates annual ABSITE and Mock Oral Examination prep.

Science of Surgery

Faculty present on core surgical topics in lecture format.

Morbidity and Mortality

Case presentations by General Surgery Residents to the Department of Surgery residents, faculty and fellows on Thursday afternoons. Lunch is provided.

Monthly Conferences

Grand Rounds

Monthly speakers give traditional lectures on a variety of core general surgery topics. Speakers include faculty, visiting professors, residents, and fellows.

Journal Club

Articles are selected for presentation, specifically reviewing any recent groundbreaking or practice-changing papers or research. Junior and senior residents are assigned articles to present and facilitate discussion among residents and faculty.

Annual Education Events

Fall Retreat

Annual retreat focusing on topics like leadership, physician well being, business of surgery, and palliative care.

Winter Conference

Off campus event planned by the Chief Residents featuring educational programming followed by a day of skiing or other group activity for faculty and residents.

Mock Oral Examinations

Biannual event for PGY 3 – 5 residents hosted by Swedish Medical Center in partnership with the ACGME accredited General Surgery Residency Programs from Madigan Army Medical Center and CHI St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. Faculty and residents from all three programs come together for a city wide simulation of the American Board of Surgery Certifying Exam.

PGY Specific Courses

PGY 1 Airway Course

Course for PGY 1 residents in the first half of the year focused on managing airways through a combination of didactics, discussion and simulation.

PGY 1 & 2 Endoscopy Course

Course for PGY 1 & 2 residents dedicated to developing a foundation for endoscopic skills. This course is integrated into the simulation curriculum and incorporates the American Board of Surgery Flexible Endoscopy Curriculum, ultimately preparing residents to pass the Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery Certification required for board eligibility.

PGY 4 Animal Lab

This offsite course uses animal models to aid PGY 4 residents in understanding the principles of endoscopic surgery, methods of endoscopic resection, understand the application and outcomes of endoscopic surgery, practice the steps of POEM and POP, learn the methods of endoscopic closure, and learn the methods of endoscopic ablation.