Surgery residents actively participate in a variety of sites where surgical care is provided. These include inpatient services, hospital operating rooms, surgical clinics, private offices, and the SurgiCenter, which has eight operating rooms with 23-hour recovery facilities. Rotations that provide in-depth knowledge of general surgery and exposure to surgical specialties include cardiothoracic surgery, otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and transplantation surgery. Housestaff are given increasing responsibilities according to their knowledge and demonstrated clinical and surgical skills.     

     The uniqueness of the ECU Surgical Residency Program is derived from the following factors:

     The residency produces "toti-potential" general surgeons. Our graduates are competitively prepared for fellowships, academic positions, and private practice.

   The residency is conducted in one institution. There are no rotations to scattered hospitals. Residents receive their training at one site and under one faculty for an integrated curriculum.

  One year of the residency is devoted to research. The research year sharpens technical skills, provides rigorous training in research methodology, ensures an academically competitive curriculum vitae, fosters national research networking opportunities, and provides time for reflection and creativity. In cooperation with the ECU School of Business we have implemented a program to allow the optional use of the surgery research year to obtain the MBA degree.

  The Department is recognized for its leadership in surgical education. Our Robotic Surgery Center is a national and international education site to train surgical teams in the use of robotics in the operating room. In addition, the Surgical Resident Curriculum is a model developed in our department for the Association of Program Directors in Surgery and surgical educators across the United States. The curriculum is integrated with surgical geriatrics projects that are being developed in our department through grants from the American Geriatrics Society. The department also houses the editorial offices, and is the creative center, for the educational periodical Current Surgery.

 The Department is dedicated to a high quality of life for faculty and residents. Our residents work hard, but there is also time for outside activities. The overall environment is courteous, friendly, and, most of all, supportive.     

     The surgery faculty is composed of full-time academic surgeons, scientists, and educators. The department also hosts an active schedule of visiting professors. Many nationally acclaimed academic surgeons have participated in our programs.
Surgical rotations at the hospital are unusually busy with a varied and large practice. PCMH is a private, nonprofit institution where academic and private practice faculty work side by side. The hospital was nationally accredited in May, 2000, earning 98 out of 100 points for the second consecutive inspection.

     Complementing the abundant clinical experience is a well-organized, didactic schedule of clinical and teaching rounds, conferences, seminars, journal club meetings, and professional interchanges through visiting professors. Residents are recognized as important, and often award-winning, teachers for the third-year medical student surgical clerkship and the fourth-year acting internship.

     Four categorical positions are available in each of the six years of the residency program. In addition, there are two preliminary positions in both years one and two that are available for residents interested in pursuing careers in the surgical specialties. Our program is not pyramidal. Each resident's progress is evaluated at regular intervals to provide constructive feedback, and although all appointments are on a one-year basis, if a categorical resident performs and progresses satisfactorily, he or she can expect to finish the program.