Surgery Education - General Surgery Residency Program
Application, Selection & Appointment Policies
Applying to our General Surgery Residency Program
Thank you for your interest in our program.All applications to our residency program must be made through ERAS.
While there are not specific minimum board scores required, applicants are screened by looking at the quality of their entire application and select applicants will be invited for an interview. ECFMG certificate is required for international graduates to be invited for an interview.
We sponsor J1 Visa only. US clinical experience is highly desirable for any international applicant. No cut off for year of graduation.
Resident application, selection & appointment policies - General Surgery Residency
Resident Eligibility
Per ACGME Institutional Requirements, applicants for general surgery residency training at UTHSCSA must meet one of the following qualifications:
- Graduate of a medical school in the U.S. and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- Graduate of an international medical school, with a valid ECFMG certificate
- Graduate of an international medical school who has completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school
All first-year residency positions (PGY-1) are offered through the National Residency Matching Program. When program slots are not filled through the match, residents may subsequently be appointed to unfilled positions from the pool of unmatched students, or other sources, as long as they meet institutional standards.
All resident applicants must be screened against Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and General Services Administration (GSA) lists; individuals listed by a federal agency as "excluded, suspended, or otherwise ineligible for participation in federal programs" (Institutional Compliance Agreement, page 6 of 18) are ineligible for residency or fellowship at UTHSCSA.
Noncitizens must have permanent resident status or a J-1 visa for residency positions at UTHSCSA.
Because incoming residents will take an Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course during orientation, they must already be certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and must show proof of ACLS certification. Incoming interns are advised to take ACLS as soon as they accept their appointment to the program.
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Resident Selection
It is the policy of UTHSCSA and its affiliated hospitals to sustain resident selection processes that are free from impermissible discrimination. In compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations, the University of Texas System Policy, and Institutional Policy, no person shall be subject to discrimination in the process of resident selection on the basis of gender, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
The General Surgery Residency Program's, Residency Selection Committee ranks candidates on the basis of the group's assessment of the individual's potential contribution to the institution and to the surgical community. The decision to interview an applicant is based on the applicant's academic performance and the assessment by his/her faculty as reflected in letters of recommendation. The interview is a two day process that starts with dinner and a boat ride on San Antonio's Riverwalk with current residents so that the applicants can get to know the residents and vice versa. The current residents' input is valued highly in the selection process. On the second day, at the time of the formal interview, each applicant is evaluated for personal and academic/patient care qualities as the applicant is interviewed by faculty and senior residents. As part of the interview process, each applicant gets an individual interview with the Department Chairman and the Program Director.
In addition, the TSBME mandates a postgraduate resident permit for all residents entering Texas programs. These rules essentially make it necessary for the resident to demonstrate that he/she will be eligible for permanent licensure in Texas. Residents are expected to be familiar with the regulations at http://www.tmb.state.tx.us/rules/rules.php.
Application Process for Civilian and Military Applicants
Civilian Applicants
The civilian aspect of the program only accepts applications through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS). The successful applicant will typically be in the top one-third of his/her medical school class and will have a USMLE score of at least 210.
The following documents are needed:
- ERAS application (www.aamc.org/eras/ais/ start.htm)
- Personal statement, which must include career goals
- Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the applicant's current Surgery Program Director or Chairman
- Official medical school transcript
- Official Dean's Letter
- USMLE scores
- ECFMG and proof of J-1 visa eligibility (foreign medical graduates only)
The application deadline is November 1. Interviews will be conducted on selected dates from November to January. Invitations to interview are extended by e-mail. Selection for the program depends on a review of the applicant's file and interview.
Residency applicants must clear a screening process to ensure that they are not listed by a federal agency as ineligible for participation in federal programs. This screening is performed at no charge to the applicant.
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Military Applicants
Applicants to the military aspect of the program are selected by the Program Director and matched through the USAF Graduate Medical Education Selection Board under procedures in Air Force Manual 50-5, Chapter 5. First-year postgraduate trainees must possess a Doctorate of Medicine or Osteopathy. Doctors of Osteopathy must also have satisfied any preliminary provisions necessary to qualify for the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery and American Board of Surgery examinations given after successful completion of the residency program. The successful applicant will typically be in the top one-third of his/her medical school class and will have a USMLE score of at least 200. Letters of recommendation are strongly encouraged.
Personal interviews at Wilford Hall Medical Center and UTHSCSA should be scheduled no later than November 1 of the year prior to planned entry into the program. Clerkships on the general surgery services are available to interested third- and fourth-year HPSP and USUHS medical students, particularly those considering applying to the program.
Once accepted and before beginning training, new residents must clear a screening process to ensure their eligibility to participate in a federal program. This screening is free.
Approved by GMEC January 2002
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