Curriculum

• Rotation Schedule
• Didactics Schedule
• Monthly Quizzes
• OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)

Rotation Schedule

GS-I

• General surgery
• Vascular surgery
• Advanced laparoscopy

GS-II

• General surgery
• Gastrointestinal surgery
• Colon/Rectal surgery

GS - IV

• Trauma
• Acute Care Surgery
• Burn

PGY-1

General Surgery
GS-I
GS-II

• 4 months

GS-IV

• 2 months

Thoracic

• 2 month

Night Float

• 1 month

Anesthesia Radiology

• 1 month

Critical Care

• 1 month

Transplant

• 1 month

PGY-2

General Surgery
GS-I
GS-II

• 3 months

Passavant Colorectal Surgery

• 3 months

Research

• 3 months

Plastic

• 1 month

Pediatric Surgery
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

• 2 months

PGY-3

General Surgery
GS-I, GS-II

• 2 months

Breast

• 1 month

Trauma GS-IV

• 3 months

Passavant Colorectal Surgery

• 3 months

Surgical Oncology

• 1 month

Thoracic 

• 2 months

PGY-4

General Surgery GS-I, GS-II 

• 6 months  

Passavant H Colorectal Surgery

• 3 months

Thoracic

• 3 months

PGY-5

General Surgery GS-I, GS-II

• 3 months

Advanced Laparoscopic/Robotic

• 3 months

Trauma GSIV

• 3 months

Thoracic

• 3 months

NOTE: Preliminary surgery residents may substitute two, one-month electives in the PGY-1 year and up to two months in the PGY-2 year.

The one year structured curriculum is based on the SCORE curriculum, Cameron’s surgical text, the ACS Surgery Principles and Practice text, a clinical skills curriculum that includes the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery and the FSC learning modules.

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Didactics Schedule

Monday:

Tuesday: 

• 12:45 pm: Surgery Clinic (Interns and Chiefs)

Wednesday: 

 7 am:Applied Basic Science

8 am: General Surgery Morbidity and Mortality

9 am: 

• General Surgery Grand Rounds (Sept.-May)
  (July-September - Clinical Skills Lab at 9 a.m.)
• Surgical Journal Club (1 per month; Sept.-May)

4 pm: General Thoracic Conference* (First; Sept.-May)

Thursday

7 am: Trauma M&M*

7:30 am: Vascular Conference

1 pm: 

• FSC - Fundamentals of Surgery Curriculum; Intern Conference with Chiefs (July-September)

2 pm:

• Cameron Conference

3 pm: 

• Trauma Grand Rounds*
  (First; Sept-May)
• Trauma Autopsy Review/Resuscitation Review*
  First; Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept., Nov)

4 pm: 

• Oncology Conference*
• Problem Based Learning* (2nd and 4th Thursdays)

Friday

3 pm: No Conferences

* CME Credit

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Monthly Quizzes

Weekly quizzes are used to assess resident knowledge. The topics coincide with the SCORE curriculum and the This Week In SCORE (TWIS) feature.

The monthly quiz is an online quiz that residents take at their leisure during the month and is based on concepts in the curriculum that month.

The pop quiz is based on the SCORE curriculum and utilizes TurningPoint Technology software and audience response devices. The audience response devices or “clickers” are assigned to each resident and various questions are asked via a PowerPoint presentation. Residents enter their answers using their “clicker” and can instantly view their results as well as the results of the other residents.

This training tool is engaging, informative, and interactive, and provides just the right balance of instruction and interaction in order for the message to trickle down to patient care.

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OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)

This is a clinical examination where candidates rotate through exam “stations” or simulated midwifery scenarios using actors and models and respond to the situation as they would in clinical practice.

Our program conducts an OSCE twice each academic year at the WISER center. The OSCE runs on a two-year cycle so that each resident has the opportunity to participate in the same scenarios twice during residency. There are three cases for each OSCE.

Each case is 15 minutes in length and includes time to read the presenting scenario, conduct scenario, complete a self-assessment, and receive verbal feedback from the SP (standardized patient).

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