Some of the subspecialty months that our Residents complete include:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Surgical Critical Care & Trauma Surgery
• Burn Surgery & Burn Intensive Care
• Surgical Oncology
• Colon & Rectal Surgery

PCOM residents develop a strong background in minimally invasive surgical techniques. Residents will have the opportunity to perform a number of bariatric surgery procedures including minimally invasive gastric bypass and gastric banding, laparascopic colon resections and also gain experience using the DaVinci Robotic Surgery System.

PCOM residents participate in a number of head & neck surgery, plastic & reconstructive surgery and acute care surgery cases. Experience with esophagoscopy/endoscopy/colonoscopy and office & outpatient surgical procedures are also important for the education of the general surgeon so PCOM provides ample opportunity for residents to develop these skills.

Academic excellence, not only operating room technique, are key components of the PCOM surgical education. PCOM holds Surgical Grand Rounds each week which consists of a variety of lectures, case presentations, mortality & morbidity conference and journal club.

PGY 1

The first year of the program allows residents to focus on the basic surgical and medical knowledge needed to become a competent general surgeon. First year residents complete rotations in Internal Medicine, Medical Intensive Care Unit, OB-GYN, Urologic Surgery, Family Practice, Emergency Medicine and General Surgery.

Special emphasis is placed on patient management, running an efficient surgical service, performing bedside procedures and learning to triage surgical patients. First year residents spend one day per week in an outpatient general surgery office where they will gain experience in both preoperative work-up and postoperative follow-up care.

First year residents spend a significant amount of time in PCOMs Simulation Lab. ACLS and ATLS training is part of the first year in order to prepare residents for their PGY2 year.

PGY 1 Rotation Sites:

• Chestnut Hill Hospital
• Roxborough Memorial Hospital
• Crozer Chester Medical Center 
• Aria Health Frankford
• Aria Health Torresdale

PGY 2

The second year residents begin to complete rotations which allow them to have more time spent in the operating room while still focusing on preoperative and postoperative patient management. Special emphasis is placed on developing the necessary technical skills and clinical decision making abilities to be able to care for the most critically ill and traumatically injured patients. PGY-2 residents in the PCOM program will gain a broad experience working in several different Intensive Care Unit settings and become adept at managing patients on ventilators as well as patients with invasive monitoring and assist devices such as central venous pressure lines, arterial catheters, Swan-Ganz catheters and aortic balloon pumps.

Residents complete rotations in Trauma Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Burn Surgery & Burn Intensive Care, Cardiothoracic Surgery and General Surgery. Second year residents also rotate several months through a busy Nightfloat system where they will care for patients on the general surgery, vascular surgery and thoracic surgery services.

PGY 2 Rotation Sites:

• Deborah Heart and Lung Center
• The Reading Hospital and Medical Center
• Crozer Chester Medical Center
• Aria Health Frankford
• Cooper University Hospital

PGY 3

The third year of the residency program allows the resident to develop more autonomy in decision making while further developing their skills in the operating room. PGY-3 residents will have a significant amount of time spent in the operating room under the supervision of a Chief level resident, often acting as primary surgeon for the case.

Third year residents complete rotations in Vascular Surgery, Trauma Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Pediatric Surgery and General Surgery.

The third year of the program acts as a transition from a junior resident to a senior resident and offers many opportunities for overseeing both first and second year residents while still having the guidance of upper-level colleagues.

PGY 3 Rotation Sites:

• Aria Health Bucks
• Crozer Chester Medical Center
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• The Reading Hospital and Medical Center
• Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia

PGY 4

Fourth year residents rotate primarily through sites where they have direct one-on-one interaction with an Attending who can assist them in developing their own operative techniques. As with the PGY-3 year, the PGY-4 year offers significant time in the OR with a Chief level resident who can assist them in making proper intra-operative decisions and help them transition to their Chief year. There are several months where the fourth year resident will be acting as the most senior level resident at a particular rotation site so he or she will have the experience of managing all aspects of a surgical service.

The fourth year residents will work on services that cover Vascular Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Colon & Rectal Surgery, Trauma Surgery and General Surgery. There are also expectations that the fourth year resident take call nights covering Surgical Critical Care Units, Trauma Surgery services and Burn Intensive Care Units.

PGY 4 Rotation Sites:

• Taylor Hospital
• Aria Health Frankford
• Aria Health Torresdale
• The Reading Hospital and Medical Center
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Delaware County Memorial Hospital