GrandRapidsMedicalEducation

Curriculum

The curriculum for the GRMEP / MSU general surgery program places a high priority on the educational needs of the resident in three main areas: clinical, academic, and research.

I. Hands-on Clinical Experience
Residents progress through a rotation schedule over five years carefully planned to provide operative experience with progressive responsibility in all areas of general surgery as well as endoscopy, critical care, and trauma. An outstanding experience in endocrine, oncologic, and vascular surgery is offered along with exceptional opportunities in the colorectal, thoracic, and pediatric surgical sub-specialties.

Every effort is made to maximize resident education, not service needs. Goals and objectives are provided at the onset of every rotation. The program director, assistant directors, and surgical teaching faculty regularly review each residents performance and the overall educational experience of the program. Exceptional training is the result, in a humane academic environment that maintains the safety, successful outcome, and compassionate care of the patient as its central focus. Graduating residents completing the residency perform around 1000 cases, with nearly 200-300 of those during their 5th year as the chief surgical resident.

II. Focus on Academics
A well prepared didactic schedule consists of weekly Core General Surgery Conferences that include morbidity and mortality discussions and interesting case presentations, followed by scheduled Clinical Surgical and Basic Science Lectures provided by faculty. Subsequent special didactic hours include regular Chief resident quizzes, mock oral board practice sessions, and a monthly surgical skills lab course. All of this occurs during a protected educational time apart from clinical responsibilities. Residents are exposed to the expertise of visiting professors as part of a well-established monthly program that invites leaders in various areas of surgery to Grand Rapids. Journal Clubs are designed to optimize the residents' skills at critically evaluating the medical literature. Multidisciplinary Breast Care Conferences, Research Conference, and weekly ward teaching rounds with designated faculty at each hospital, round out the academic experience for the resident.

Commitment to education in a stimulating training environment contributes to the very successful pass rate around 90% among graduating residents on both the Qualifying and Certifying Examinations for the American Board of Surgery over the past two decades.

III. Research and Scholarly Activity
Residents are required to submit two scholarly / research projects over the course of their five year training.  Excellent support is provided through an abundance of resources for these endeavors.  There is a monthly Research Conference, led by Dr. Paul Kemmeter and attended by residents and surgical teaching faculty.  This forum provides residents with helpful didactics in surgical research and design as well as opportunities for collaborative feedback on their research ideas and projects.  The research didactics program is enhanced by the contributions of  Alan Davis, PhD, who serves as the Director of Research at GRMEP and is the author of the book chapter on surgical research design in a major surgical basic science text (O’Leary).  Additional basic science research exposure is available at the Van Andel Research Institute, a world class facility adjacent to the downtown Spectrum Health campus.

Research and Scholarly Activity

Residents are required to submit two scholarly / research projects over the course of their five year training.  Excellent support is provided through an abundance of resources for these endeavors.  There is a monthly Research Conference, led by Dr. Paul Kemmeter and attended by residents and surgical teaching faculty.  This forum provides residents with helpful didactics in surgical research and design as well as opportunities for collaborative feedback on their research ideas and projects.  The research didactics program is enhanced by the contributions of  Alan Davis, PhD, who serves as the Director of Research at GRMEP and is the author of the book chapter on surgical research design in a major surgical basic science text (O’Leary).  Additional basic science research exposure is available at the Van Andel Research Institute, a world class facility adjacent to the downtown Spectrum Health campus. For more information visit the Research Section.