Why Train at Cincinnati?

Training residents is our focus.

We intentionally have no fellowships in Minimally Invasive Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Colorectal Surgery, HPB, or Acute Care Surgery in order to give our residents the most robust clinical and operative experience possible. Senior residents are performing and managing complex pancreatic, hepatobiliary, colorectal, and advanced GI cases. Junior trainees gain early proficiency in open and basic/advanced laparoscopy while developing a strong foundation in trauma and critical care.   Elective rotation flexibility is available to assist with sub-specialty career exploration and as a chief resident, for advanced pre-fellowship preparation.  All residents graduate with their robot certification and most achieve their minimal case number requirements even before their chief year begins.

Our services are resident run where the chief residents serve as junior faculty members and independent thought and autonomy are emphasized.

Didactics, surgical simulation, journal club, quality improvement, professional development, conference travel and informal activities are also integrated into training. Additionally, our residents are exposed to training in a variety of clinical settings with rotations at our Level 1 trauma center, quaternary referral university hospital, our Veterans Affairs hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, two local community-based hospitals (Westchester Hospital and The Christ Hospital), and an elective global surgery rotation at Mzuzu Central Hospital in Malawi, Africa.

We are proud of our 100% fellowship match rate and board exam pass rates, no ACGME citations and strong resident culture.  We are even prouder of our residents who regularly exceed our expectations, both in the care they deliver as well as the local and national recognition they receive every year for their academic achievements and leadership.

Productive and meaningful research.

Most residents complete two years of dedicated professional development and research training (PGY-3 and PGY-4). Supported by NIH-funded faculty, T32 training grants, and robust infrastructure with PhDs and biostatisticians, residents pursue projects in translational/basic science, health services, clinical outcomes, and surgical education. Residents with extensive research experience or with military obligations may have these years waived.

 Our Cincinnati Research for Outcomes and Safety in Surgery (CROSS) and Cincinnati Research for Education and Surgical Training (CREST) groups additionally provide residents with opportunities to develop the skills necessary to become impactful health services and clinical outcomes researchers.  

 Since 2015, our residents have produced more than 500 manuscripts (averaging over 60 manuscripts per academic year) with accepted podium presentations at major academic conferences including American College of Surgeons, SAGES, EAST, Society of Surgical Oncology, American Surgical Association, Central Surgical Association, Southern Surgical Association, SSAT, APDS, AHPBA, American Transplant Congress, and more. Advanced degrees are available through a variety of UC graduate schools depending on the individual resident interest and career goals. Conference travel and resident salary during these years is supported by the Department. Optional Moonlighting opportunities exist to maintain clinical skills and supplement salary.

Why Cincinnati?

A mid-sized, accessible city with all the attributes of a large city without the high cost of living. A strong resident camaraderie and culture with a history of producing surgical leaders in academia, community practice, and hospital administration, our program emphasizes independence, operative autonomy, and academic productivity. Our fellowship match is one of our strongest attributes, with residents routinely matching into the most competitive fellowships across the country within Pediatric Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Colorectal Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Transplant Surgery, and Trauma Critical Care. For those not interested in pursuing a fellowship or academia, our chief residents become competent, confident surgeons ready to go into private practice upon graduation.