General Surgery Residency

Message from Program Director

Thank you for your interest in the University of Maryland general surgery residency program.

The Medical Center mission is encapsulated in the phrase "we heal, we teach, we discover, we care." Education is central to our mission, and we take that responsibility seriously.

Did you know that not only was the University of Maryland School of Medicine the first public medical school in the United States, but it was the first to start a residency training program?

The general surgery residency program was originally accredited in 1954. In the nearly 60 years since, we have made strides in surgical education as well as clinical medicine. For example, our residents enjoy the benefits of state of the art surgical training both in traditional OR settings and in the MASTRI center, the Maryland Advanced Simulation, Training, Research and Innovation center, where they can practice using the latest surgical technology.

Our program features rotations at three main hospitals: the University of Maryland Medical Center, the Baltimore VA Medical Center, and a private affiliate, Mercy Medical Center. Rotations at external hospital expose our residents to different styles of practice in clinical surgery and within different health care systems. Most of the time during residency is spent at the University of Maryland Medical Center, which includes the world-famous R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, the division of transplantation, and of course, minimally invasive surgery, surgical oncology, and emergency general surgery.

Our general surgery residency program includes a substantial research component, with our residents pursuing a basic or clinical question for two full years at one of the renowned laboratories within our research institution.

This thorough research experience positions our graduates to attain competitive fellowships and become future leaders in the surgery. We are tremendously proud of our department's accomplishments, and look forward to sharing some of them with you.

Please contact me directly with any questions or to be put in touch with a current resident ambassador to learn more about the day-to-day experience in our general surgery training program.

Best regards,

Stephen Kavic, MD, FACS