Main ContentGeneral Surgery Residency
EarlThank you for your interest in the University of Mississippi Medical Center general surgery residency program. The Medical Center has a long history of excellence in surgical education beginning under the leadership Dr. James Hardy in 1955 when Mississippi's first and only four-year medical school opened its doors in Jackson. Click here for detailed application information and FAQ’s.
We are fully accredited by the ACGME's Surgery Residency Review Committee to finish six chief residents per year. Additional residencies within the Department of Surgery in plastic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, urology and surgical critical care improve the experience of our general surgery residents. Since we do not have fellowship programs in fields such as surgical oncology, colorectal surgery and transplant surgery, this allows our general surgery chief residents to gain extensive experience in these subspecialties.
We are very proud of our finished product. Our current residents typically complete their training with over 1,000 cases and exceed requirements in all categories. They are safe, competent, confident and ready for independent practice. Over the past five years, 70% of our residents choose to pursue fellowships and have successfully matched into a variety of fields including pediatric, plastic, colorectal, trauma, vascular, and cardiothoracic surgery. As the only academic medical center in the state, one of our obvious tasks is to train general surgeons for Mississippi. This is partially accomplished through a robust didactic conference schedule. Routinely, our recent graduates are actively recruited by respected private practice groups in Mississippi and the mid-South. There is no “typical” path for a UMMC-trained surgeon. We strive to help our residents achieve their personal goals; be that successful private practice or research focused academic career.
The majority of the residents' rotation schedule occurs at UMMC and Children's of Mississippi. These represent Mississippi's only tertiary referral center, only Level 1 Trauma Center, only dedicated children's hospital, and only transplant center. This provides a large volume of experience in complex cases referred from all over the state. Our residents also rotate at the VA Medical Center located adjacent to the UMMC campus. Here residents participate in an active general surgery service, vascular surgery, general thoracic surgery and a high volume of endoscopy. Additionally, we now have a relationship with a community hospital and are sending our second- and fourth-year residents there to obtain another layer of experience with local surgeons and sending a third-year resident to do a private practice vascular rotation. Finally, during their third and fourth year, residents rotate at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo where they are exposed to private practice general surgery with five busy surgeons - performing all aspects of general surgery - from complex laparoscopy to trauma to breast. We believe this rotation is one of the real gems of our program.
No formal time for research is required, however residents interested in spending dedicated time in research are encouraged to apply. The Department of Surgery has a strong relationship with the Cardiovascular-Renal Research Center housed within the Arthur C. Guyton Research Center, and funding opportunities exist for interested residents. All residents complete at least one research project during their five-year residency and all chief residents attend a national meeting of their choice.
In the end, our greatest strength is our people. Resident education is a core mission of the department, and we maintain a very collegial relationship between faculty and residents. I encourage you to contact me in the surgery education office if you have questions or further interest.
T. Mark Earl, MD, FACS
Professor of Surgery
Program Director, General Surgery Residency
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