General Surgery Residency

General Surgery Residency

The goal of the general surgery training program is to train individuals in the art and science of surgery and to cultivate the next generation of leaders in surgery.

Here at the Department of Surgery, we are committed to the residents we match. This includes fostering an environment rich in diversity, innovation and continuous learning, and with providing each resident the opportunity to achieve their specific career goals. Our residency program includes five clinical years of postgraduate training at University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento California with 6 affiliated hospitals. Our program affords residents the option to pursue 1-2 years for academic enhancement/research time after the third clinical year.

The goals and expectations of the educational program are distinct for each clinical year. The PGY-1 year provides an introduction to the broad discipline of general surgery, focusing on peri-operative care offered in two tracks: categorical and preliminary.  There are 9 categorical positions – 2 are filled in the military match and 7 are filled through the NRMP Match.  There is a variable number of preliminary positions available each year.  In a typical year, there are 10 – 12 preliminary PGY-1 residents from the US Air Force and 4 or 5 civilian preliminary PGY-1 residents.  The civilian positions are filled through the NRMP Match. Categorical residents are assured steady progress through the 5 clinical years in the program, provided they meet predetermined guidelines set by the department.  The preliminary positions are 1-year long.  Regardless of categorical or preliminary status, all residents are afforded the same educational opportunities and are held to the same standard. 

Our goal is to create an environment where every resident succeeds. Our commitment and passion drives everything we do, and we seek to cultivate that passion in our residents. With this in mind, we have created Career Development Experiences for residents interested in the areas of Surgeon/Scientist, International/Rural Surgery, Public Policy/Comparative Effectiveness and Surgical Education. Residents in the program also go through a seminar series, Residents as Teachers and Leaders, aimed at teaching the skills necessary to teach medical students / junior residents and to lead clinical and administrative teams while in training and beyond.   We have a strong history of being at the forefront of surgical innovation and training and this tradition continues each year with our residency programs.

Basic Residency Program Structure

Highlights:

• Nine categorical positions are available each year, including 1-2 categorical positions offered in conjunction with the US Air Force.
• 5-13 preliminary PGY-1 positions are offered each year for active duty Air Force physicians designated in the Pre Flight Surgery Surgical Training Track.
• One to four civilian PGY-1 preliminary positions are offered each year through the match; sometimes we may have as many as 9-10 preliminary positions.
• Research is encouraged throughout the entire residency. There is time allotted between the clinical PGY-3 and PGY-4 clinical years for residents to pursue their interest in research or academic endeavors.  This time is not required but most residents take time for career development.

The first distinction of our program is the diversity of clinical training. The centerpiece of the program is UC Davis Medical Center, a tertiary referral center for Northern California. The surgical care at the university includes trauma, acute care surgery, surgical critical care, vascular, surgical oncology, transplant, pediatric, burns and general surgery, including minimally invasive, bariatrics and robotic surgery.  The clinical experience at the University is augmented by our robust outside rotations in all clinical settings (private practice, HMO, military, VA, and charitable care).

Second is the research excellence at UC Davis and within the Department of Surgery. Cutting edge surgical research augments the clinical aspects of our training program. Many of the faculty in the department are funded and welcome resident participation in their research. Residents are able to take advantage of the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures, the William R. Prichard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis, the Clinical Investigation Facility at Travis AFB, and the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research.  Projects encompassing both clinical and basic science research are designed to better prepare our residents for fellowships, academic or private practice.

We augment our educational environment by providing specific training to our residents in the basics of adult education. We conduct a “Teach the Teachers” course to both our residents and faculty throughout the year to enhance the relationship among all learners, regardless of level.

Career Development Experiences

The UC Davis General Surgery Residency goal is to train surgical leaders. We have designed our educational program to focus on operative management of surgical disease as well as perioperative and surgical critical care. Our graduates finish the program with the skills, clinical maturity, and confidence to tackle the most complex surgical problems and offer the best care.

Within the framework of our strong clinical education program, we recognize that one model of training does not fit everyone. In order to help our graduates achieve their greatest potential, we encourage residents to choose one of the Career Educational Experiences to help guide their training:

• Surgeon Educator
• Surgeon Scientist
• Public Policy
• Comparative Effectiveness
• Global/Rural Surgery

Our Clinical Care Advantage

The UC Davis Health Department of Surgery is among the most highly regarded surgical programs in the nation. With a history rich in clinical, academic and research achievements, we sit proudly at the forefront of medicine. Through a culture of collaboration, our well-regarded surgeons pioneer groundbreaking advances in patient care, push the boundaries of medical research, and educate the brightest minds in medicine.

"UC Davis Medical Center ranked as one of the nation’s best hospitals for 2020-21 in 9 adult medical specialties, according to the annual U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals survey published in July 2020."

World-Class Care

The prominence and quality of UC Davis Health Department of Surgery further the patient-care mission at the UC Davis Medical Center. As inland Northern California's only academic medical center and only level 1 trauma center, the UC Davis medical center provides patients with access to the latest technological advances and investigational drugs and therapies.

As the main tertiary care referral center for a 33-county area of more than six million residents, the 627-bed hospital and 150-plus specialty clinics provide a diverse patient population for a well-rounded medical school education. UC Davis Health admits tens of thousands of patients per year and handles nearly 1 million visits, and the medical center’s emergency room can see more than 200 patients per day on average. 

Nationally Ranked, Regionally Recognized, Locally Praised

Regionally, U.S. News & World Report ranks UC Davis Medical Center as number 1 in the greater Sacramento area and among the top ten best hospitals in California.  Nationally, UC Davis School of Medicine is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s best hospitals in for 2020-2021 in adult medical specialties including surgery. 

Because of the breadth of the talent and resources of the UC Davis Health, we’re able to offer a caliber of training and patient care found only in a high-volume academic medical center.