Qualified and interested residents may apply their research experience toward fulfillment of a Ph.D. program in basic sciences. The fourth year continues the gradual assumption of increased leadership, decision making, and responsibility. Fourth year residents are the senior residents on trauma and pediatric surgery rotations. Additional rotations where they serve as senior assistant residents include general surgery, vascular surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery. Each chief resident rotates through all three integrated hospitals.
Rotations are three months in duration.
The chief resident is required to prepare and present at conferences and is responsible for the teaching and training of more junior house officers and students on his or her service. The chief resident is involved with major elective procedures emphasizing complex gastroenterologic, oncologic, endocrinologic, and peripheral vascular cases as well as major trauma. The chief resident is responsible for the management of all the patients on his or her service. Requests for surgical consultation from other clinical departments are channeled through the chief resident. The final year of the General Surgery experience completes a progressively graded comprehensive training program of increasing responsibility as required by the American Board of Surgery.