​General Surgery Residency at UPMC Horizon

General Surgery Residency Curriculum

First Year

The first year provides incoming residents with a solid introduction to the breadth and diversity of surgery. The requirement, as outlined below, can be fulfilled at the base hospital, UPMC Horizon, with the following exceptions: two months of out-of-house rotations in the ICU/CCU at UPMC Presbyterian and pediatrics at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Rotations involve possibly one or two other senior residents, along with an attending physician and possibly a medical student. This allows our residents to receive one-on-one ratio training.

Residents also spend one half-day session, per month, at our American Osteopathic Association (AOA)-approved Continuity of Care Surgical Clinic.

A resident’s call schedule typically includes one weekend day or night, and one week per month of night float when deemed appropriate by chief resident and surgical attendings.

First Year

Comprehensive Longitudinal Experiences

• Surgical Clinic
• Monthly journal clubs (organize and present article)
• General Surgery/Critical Care rotating journal club months
• Weekly General Surgery protected education/conference
• Weekly Multidisciplinary Cancer Conference (present cases)
• Laparoscopic training modules
• Quarterly Surgical Morbidity and Mortality Conference (present cases)
• Bimonthly multidisciplinary educational conferences (interns only)
• Quarterly Surgical Peer Review Committee

Other First-Year Experiences

• ACLS
• ATLS
• School sports physicals
• Central Venous Catheterization Training – WISER Center

Second Year

The second- through fifth-year curriculum offers more surgery rotations, along with the required rotations by the AOA, in order to achieve a greater educational experience in general surgery. 

A resident's call schedule continues to be one week of night float per month and 1-2 weekend days per month (call from home). This schedule may vary month-to-month, depending on the out-of-house rotation schedule and vacations.

Second Year

Comprehensive Longitudinal Experiences

• Surgical Clinic
• Monthly journal clubs (organize and present article)
• General Surgery/Critical Care rotating journal club months
• Monthly OMT lab
• Weekly General Surgery protected education/conference
• Weekly Multidisciplinary Cancer Conference (present cases)
• Laparoscopic training modules
• Quarterly Surgical Morbidity and Mortality Conference (present cases)

Third Year

Other Third-Year Experiences

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)/Basic Life Support (BLS) renewal

Fourth Year

 

Fifth Year — All at Base Hospital

Continuity Training Experience for General Surgery

The continuity training experience, within the continuity of care surgical clinic, provides the resident with a training environment equivalent to that of a private practice.

The continuity of care clinic is conducted by several surgical physicians who have a lifetime of experience to share with each resident.

Goals of General Surgery Continuity Training

The goals of the continuity training experience are to provide:

• A safe environment with adequate mentoring
• A broad and diverse patient population
• Exposure to standard in-office testing capabilities
• Comprehensive coding and billing instruction
• Better patient continuity that will develop a competent, confident, and compassionate surgical physician

Residents spend one half day per week in the surgical clinic during their OGME-1 year and 2 half days per month OGME-2 through OGME-5 training years.

Residents are actively involved in:

• The inpatient and outpatient care of their patients
• Specialty follow-up
• Insurer reimbursement

Our residents are often recruited to practices in the local community after their residencies.

Those residents whom do not go on to community based general surgery have been successful in acquiring the fellowship of their choice including Trauma/Acute care surgery, Plastic Surgery, Minimally Invasive/Bariatric Surgery, Vascular Surgery, and Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Audition Rotations

A variety of options are available for audition rotations:

• Four-week audition rotations from May 1 through Sept. 30
• Two-week audition rotations from Oct. 1 through Jan. 10 (due to interview season)
• Shadowing experience during the interview season

Applications to set up an audition or shadowing experience will be accepted starting February 1st. Please contact the UPMC Horizon Graduate Medical Education office via email at shermanpj@upmc.edu with your completed form.

In the meantime, please complete the paperwork on the Medical Student Orientation page.

If you wish to shadow, please complete the paperwork on the Job Shadow page and email to shermanpj@upmc.edu.

General Surgery Residency Program Faculty

Jon Henwood, DO, FACOS

Director, UPMC Horizon General Surgery Residency Program

Education: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Internship and Residency: Doctors Hospital

Certification: American Osteopathic Board of Surgeons

Joined Faculty: 1996

Biography

Dr. Henwood received his medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed an internship and residency at Doctors Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. He became general surgery program director in 2010 after previously serving as assistant program director.

Dr. Henwood has served on many committees at UPMC Horizon, including Medical Care, Cancer Conference, and Medical Executive. He also served as chairman of the Department of Surgery. Dr. Henwood currently serves on the National Board of Medical Examiners-Part II test construction, residency in-service exam test construction, as the medical director of vascular surgery, and on Credentials Committee. At the national level, he is chairman of the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Division of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, as well as the board of governors. Dr. Henwood also was selected as "Physician of the Year" by the 2008 UPMC Horizon intern class.

Dr. Henwood lives in Hermitage with his wife, Kathleen, and their children.

Christopher Esper, DO, FACOS

Assistant director, UPMC Horizon General Surgery Residency Program

Education: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Internship and Residency: UPMC Horizon

Certification: American Osteopathic Board of Surgeons

Joined Faculty: 2008

Biography

Dr. Esper received his medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed general surgery internship and residency training at UPMC Horizon, followed by a  fellowship in vascular surgery at Cleveland Clinic-South Point Hospital, Cleveland.  He accepted the position of general surgery assistant program director in October 2011.

Dr. Esper lives in Hermitage with his wife, Michele, and their twin daughters.