Residents begin with two years of diverse basic surgery experience.
In the fifth year, residents run the service as chief resident for six months on each of two services. Each of the two large affiliated hospitals has centers of surgical expertise. Memorial Medical Center has a 10-bed Regional Burn Center, a multidisciplinary Breast Center, and an active dialysis and renal transplant program. St. John's Hospital has a more active pediatric service which generates considerable surgical experience. There is joint hospital support for a community-wide Level I Trauma Center.