Program Overview

The USC Department of Surgery has a long tradition of excellence in training clinical surgeons. A hallmark of the program is the incredible diversity of the training experience. By spending significant time at each of the major training sites, residents obtain a spectrum of experience that is unmatched. The culmination of the training occurs during the chief resident year, which is predominately spent at the Los Angeles General Medical Center, where he or she will be responsible for running the various surgical services, with attending supervision.

The surgical pathology, severity of disease and degree of autonomy afforded to the residents in this program make it truly one-of-a-kind. At the completion of five years of clinical training, the graduating resident will have the confidence to handle any clinical situation and will have gained extensive experience as a clinical leader. The program offers a team approach to resident education, career development, mentorship, and research opportunities.

Resident education is made possible by an unwavering commitment from Dr. Vaughn Starnes, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery. The Department of Surgery earmarks more than $1.5 million every year in support of the educational programs for residents. Dr. Maura Sullivan, PhD Educator and Vice Chair of Education, has organized a robust curricular structure that integrates clinical experience with the latest skills lab, simulation, and didactic instruction. Our program has enjoyed long standing full accreditation status with the ACGME. As a result of the efforts put into our educational offerings, graduates of the program have gone onto some of the most prestigious and competitive fellowship programs across the country.

Overall, there are few programs in the country that provide the breadth of training that is offered within the USC General Surgery Residency Program. Our residents train at one of the country’s largest public hospitals, a university tertiary care hospital, an NCI-designated cancer center, a managed-care community hospital, and a nationally renowned children’s hospital. Residents will gain experience in routine as well as complex open, laparoscopic, endoscopic and robotic techniques. We stress excellence in producing well-rounded surgeons with significant clinical experience and the confidence that only comes with the graduated resident autonomy for which the program is known.

Mission

The mission of this program is to provide residents in the General Surgery Program a veritable research experience that aligns with the goal of training future leaders in surgery.

Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We are fortunate to practice in the richly diverse neighborhood of Boyle Heights in Los Angeles, and we believe it it is crucial to train a diverse pool of talented surgeons with an eye toward improved health equity for everyone. We have numerous opportunities for our residents to make their opinions heard and get directly involved.

Learn more about our Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) program.

Applications

All applications for the General Surgery Training Program are accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). You also must register with the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

Our requirements for application include:

  • Common application form
  • Personal statement
  • Medical school transcripts
  • MSPE/dean’s letter
  • Letters of recommendation (minimum of three)
  • Photograph
  • USMLE transcripts
  • ECFMG status report – foreign graduates only
  • While rotating here allows you to meet our faculty and residents, it is by no means necessary for matching here.

  • This year we will be performing virtual interviews. We highly encourage you to explore our website in order to get to know our program. The decision to choose a residency program without having visited the city or campus is understandably difficult so please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Velinda Fulton (Program Coordinator)
(323) 442-5755
Velinda.fulton@med.usc.edu
Elizabeth “Eli” Agraz-Sanchez
(323) 442-7824
Elizabeth.Agraz@med.usc.edu

2025-2026 Interview Dates: Fridays

November 8th, 2024

December 6th, 2024

January 24th, 2025

Graduates and Interns

2024-25 Intern class

PGY Year 2 for 2024-25

PGY 3 for 2024-25

PGY 4 for 2024-25

PGY 5 2024-25

Research Year residents 2024-25

Benefits and Salary

Vacation

Each resident is allowed 4 weeks of paid vacation throughout the year.

Salary

Below is a table of resident salaries based on PGY level. These salaries are established periodically by the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and the Joint Council of Interns and Residents. In addition to the base salary, each resident is given a $10,000 housing bonus at the start of each academic year. Through the Committee of Interns and Residents, the housestaff union, residents are reimbursed up to $2,000 annually for education related expenses such as books or laptops. Similarly, for travel to conferences or research presentations, residents are reimbursed up to $1,000 annually.

The present salary scale is as follows:
PHYSICIAN, POSTGRADUATE SALARIES (Oct 1, 2022 through Sept 30, 2023) With a guaranteed 3.25% increase on October 1st of the next two years.

PHYSICIAN, POST GRADUATE SALARIES
October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023
YEAR LEVEL MONTHLY SALARY YEARLY SALARY
GY-1 $5,835.44 $70,025.34
GY-2 $5,989.44 $71,873.37
GY-3 $6,300.63 $75,607.62
GY-4 $6,789.62 $81,475.52
GY-5 $7,265.46 $87,185.53
GY-6 $7,757.73 $93,092.78
GY-7 $8,220.47 $98,645.66

White coats

White coats are provided from both Keck and Los Angeles General Medical Center. The Keck white coat will have your name embroidered on the front.

Meal stipend

Each resident is given approximately $30/day, 7 days/week, which is divided between breakfast, lunch, and dinner and can be used at Los Angeles General Medical Center or Keck Hospital. While at other hospitals, residents are also provided with a meal stipend.

Malpractice Insurance

Malpractice insurance is provided without charge for all resident physicians during training.

Parking

Residents are provided free parking at all rotation facilities.

Health Benefits

Residents have a variety of health benefits available to them. There is a menu of medical plans to choose from, vision, dental, supplemental medical and dental, gap insurance, disability as well as other employee assistance programs. More information can be found at: https://hr.lacounty.gov/benefits/ and https://www.cirseiu.org/

Rotation Overview

Rotation Schedule

  • Divided into 4-week block rotations. These include ICU, night intern, and the following surgical services: Acute Care Surgery, Colorectal, Cardiac, Thoracic-Foregut, Vascular, Transplant, Plastics and Reconstructive, Minimally Invasive, Orthopedics, and Hepatobiliary.

  • Divided into 5-6-week block rotations. These include ICU, Pediatric Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Burns, Minimally Invasive, Vascular, Hepatobiliary, and Acute Care Surgery.

  • Divided into 5-6 week block rotations. These include Surgical Oncology, Hepatobiliary/Transplant, Acute Care Surgery, Vascular, and General Surgery at Kaiser Permanente, and night senior.

  • Divided into 5-6 week block rotations. These include Acute Care Surgery, Thoracic-Foregut, Colorectal, Surgical Oncology, General Surgery at Kaiser Permanente, and night senior.

  • The chief year is divided into 5-6 week block rotations and is flexible as efforts are made to allow residents to spend more time on rotations which will prepare them for their future career choices.

Rotation Facilities

Los Angeles General Medical Center

The newly designed Los Angeles General Medical Center opened its doors in 2008 and sits adjacent to the historic General Hospital building in an area just northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The facility encompasses 1.5 million square feet, with 600 inpatient beds and 132 Emergency Department beds. Over half of the resident rotations will be at Los Angeles General Medical Center. A few unique features of this hospital are listed below:

  • Serves as one of the busiest level 1 trauma centers in the nation and treats over 28% of trauma victims in the region; also serves as the US Navy’s Trauma training center
  • One of only three burn centers in the county, and one of the few Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Southern California
  • Employs approximately 1,500 attending physicians, 1,000 interns and residents, 3,000 nurses at all levels, and trains several hundreds of students in various healthcare professions
  • Prides itself on serving any patient that comes through its doors regardless of socioeconomic or insurance status
Los Angeles General Medical Center

Keck Hospital of USC

Keck Hospital is a 401-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital within walking distance of County and employs over 700 faculty physicians. On average, the hospital performs over 18,000 outpatient and inpatient surgeries annually. As a tertiary/quaternary referral center, Keck provides care for the most acute and complex medical and surgical issues. A significant number of resident rotations take place at Keck.

Keck Hospital of USC

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

USC Norris is one of the 8 original comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. More than 250 physicians and scientists focus on 13 key areas of cancer treatment including: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, genetic counseling, gynecological cancers, head and neck cancers, hematology, lung cancer, melanoma, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, sarcoma, skin cancer and urologic oncology. The recently opened Norris Healthcare Center is a 7-story, 116,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility within walking distance and is focused on cancer care, urology, and outpatient surgery.

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

CHLA is one of the busiest children’s hospitals in the nation with over 17,000 surgeries performed annually. Residents spend time rotating on the pediatric surgery service here. Those interested in pursuing pediatric surgery fellowship can easily find mentorship and research opportunities within the department.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Kaiser Permanente, West LA

Kaiser West LA is a private, community hospital located just south of Beverly Hills. Residents spend time here during their 3rd and 4th years and perform a significant number of cases throughout these months. The specialties include general surgery, colorectal, hepatobiliary, endocrine, and breast.

Kaiser Permanente, West LA

Research Program

Format of the Research Program

The research program is crafted to be flexible to suit individual resident goals and interests. Most of our residents will avail themselves of protected time outside clinical years to pursue research and academic efforts. The number of years in and type of research will be tailored to best suit the career plans of the individual resident.

Goals and expectations of research year(s)

  • The success of this program is clearly reliant on the residents’ undertaking high quality research. The goal is for the resident to be able to complete a quality research product by the end of their research program. It is the expectation that the research will be presented at a regional/national meeting and published in a peer-reviewed journal.
  • Depending on the specific research area, whenever opportunities exist and with their faculty mentor’s guidance, it is expected that the resident will submit the research for competitive extra-mural funding opportunities.
  • Every resident who has participated in the research program will be expected to present at the annual Berne Academic Day to the USC Department of Surgery at large. This conference is held in the spring of each year. The best presentation will win the resident research award.

Area of Research

The residents will be allowed to choose their own area of research based on their interest and opportunities available. No restriction will be placed on type of research (clinical vs. bench) or location of research (restricted to the department or for that matter to the institution). A non-exhaustive list of research opportunities within the department is provided below.

 

Division Type of Research Brief Description of Current Research and/or Recently
Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinical Science Research Clinical trials evaluating new mechanical circulatory support devices (i.e., LVAD) for the treatment of end-stage heart failure.
Plastic Reconstructive Surgery Basic Science Research Delivery of demineralized bone matrix powder using a thermogelling chitosan carrier.
Acute Surgical Care/Trauma Surgery Basic Science & Clinical Science Research Research on optimal platelet and plasma ratios in massive blood transfusions.
Breast/Soft Tissue Basic Science & Clinical/Translational Science Research Research on molecular profiling of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer and clinical trials and translational studies focused on finding better treatments for breast cancer patients.
Hepato-biliary/Abdominal Transplant Surgery Clinical Science Research Research involving immunosuppressive management, new surgical agents in liver resection and new anti-microbial agents.
Cardiothoracic Surgery Basic Science & Clinical Science Research Clinical research encompasses outcomes in congenital heart disease. Bench research involves the development and regeneration of the heart and blood vessels.
Plastic Reconstructive Surgery Basic Science Research Research on adult-derived stem cells for wound healing, molecular pathogenesis of silicone breast implant capsular contracture, and microvascular flap physiology.
Surgery, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Basic Science Research Research focus on molecular, cellular, and developmental biology of lymphatic system
Thoracic Surgery Basic Science Research Research focus on lung cancer, cancer genetics, epigenetics, DNA methylation, RNA/DNA protein interaction, & immune response in cancer.
Acute Surgical Care/Trauma Surgery Clinical Science Research Research focus on glucose measurements, crystalloid restriction, & ventilator-associated pneumonia in traumatic & post-traumatic cases.
Colon and Rectal Surgery Clinical Science Research Research focus on enhanced recovery, surgical site infection including negative pressure wound therapy as well as clinical outcomes in colon and rectal cancer and IBD.

Planning for the research year(s)

The primary goal of the Residency Research Program is to oversee the research experience of the residents. This program is directed by Kazuhide Matsushima, MD, with Gautam Malhotra, MD, serving as the associate director. A resident research oversight committee comprising of select faculty members reviews research plans of every resident, provides constructive feedback and further augments resident research experience.

Funding Sources

The department works actively with each resident to identify funding sources to support their research efforts. The department has been awarded an R38 training grant from the NHLBI that supports research efforts in the areas of heart, lung, vascular and blood research. Residents can also compete for institutional CIRM and T32 training awards. In addition, funds are available within each division to cover resident research.

Graduate level training during research years

The research program is designed to provide residents the opportunity to receive didactic training that will prepare them for a future in academic surgery. All residents will receive formal training in the Responsible Conduct of Research. In addition, they will enroll in graduate level biostatistics classes commensurate with their prior expertise.

Residents also can enroll in other graduate courses that would best enhance their research experience. Our past trainees have utilized these opportunities to obtain advanced degrees, including MPH, PhD, MSEd and EdD.

Reverse Visiting Professorship Opportunity

The Berne Society Reverse Visiting Professorship is a unique and innovative program designed to foster professional connections and enhance the educational experience of PGY3 residents in the field of general surgery. Established with the aim of strengthening ties between residents and alumni surgeons, this program sends PGY3 residents to visit distinguished alumni surgeons working at hospitals across the country. During these visits, residents have the opportunity to observe hospital structures, participate in academic discussions, and engage in mentorship sessions, all of which contribute to the development of their surgical skills and knowledge. The program is strategically crafted to build lasting professional relationships, providing residents with a platform to establish meaningful connections within the surgical community. The ultimate goal is to support residents in their pursuit of fellowship opportunities by leveraging the network and insights gained through the Berne Society Reverse Visiting Professorship, ensuring a solid foundation for their future success in the field of surgery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Resident Life

  • Yes, despite the cost of living in LA, residents find plenty of affordable housing options that fit within their salary. In addition, the $10K yearly housing stipend helps cover the cost of rent.

  • The majority of residents live in the arts district or SouthPark area of downtown which is a 12-15 minute drive from the campus with morning traffic. Other popular areas include Echo Park, Silverlake, Los Feliz, Pasadena, South Pasadena, and Santa Monica.

  • Absolutely. Interns from other subspecialties rotate through general surgery rotations their first year and form lasting friendships. Given the nature of multidisciplinary care of our patients, residents interact with residents in other programs during their training. There are over 70 accredited residency programs at USC. Other trainees are often spotted at our social gatherings.

  • It’s Los Angeles. The city offers just about anything you can imagine.

General

  • We take 7 categorical residents each year. We do not take preliminary residents.

  • In recent years we have had flexible research years for those who wanted to take time away from clinical duties which is the reason we have a variable number of graduates each year. We are now encouraging all our residents to take at least 1 year off for research after the PGY2 or PGY3 year. A description of our research program can be found here.

  • On average, our chiefs graduate with more than 1000 cases.

  • Residents in the program are evaluated in a variety of ways. All faculty complete an end-of rotation evaluation for each resident assessing each of the six competencies set forth by the ACGME. All evaluations are entered into an online platform (My Evaluations) and accessible to residents at any time. These evaluations are discussed bi-annually at the departmental Clinical Competency Committee and decisions regarding resident progression are made at that time. A summary evaluation based on feedback from all faculty members is then entered into the My Evaluations system and provided to residents. In addition, residents are required to have faculty assess them in regard to technical skills as well as clinical skills every 6 months. The technical and clinical skills evaluations are also used for the resident’s application to the American Board of Surgery.

    Faculty in the program are evaluated by each resident at the end of every rotation. These evaluations are completed anonymously, compiled, and sent to each faculty member at the end of each academic year. In addition, faculty members are evaluated at the end of each teaching session (skills lab, core curriculum, etc.) and sent compiled individual teaching reports.

    The program as a whole is also evaluated in a variety of ways. Every resident completes an annual program evaluation form at the end of each academic year. These evaluations are reviewed by program leadership and appropriate revisions are made. In addition, each individual program within the overall residency program (i.e. skills curriculum, core curriculum, wellness curriculum, etc.) is evaluated and revised on a yearly basis based on feedback from learners, focus groups, national guidelines and recommendations, ACGME mandates, and updated literature reviews.

    All residents participate in a Resident-As-Teachers program. These sessions are designed to help residents recognize their role as teacher and role model and provide the tools and skills necessary to become effective teachers and leaders. Residents learn about the transition from medical school to residency, providing constructive feedback, dealing with difficult learners, microskills of teaching, teaching in the operating rooms, and surgical leadership.

  • While this varies rotation to rotation; the call schedule is no worse than once in every four days. There are services that have home call as well. The program closely monitors each resident’s duty hours to ensure compliance with ACGME requirements.

  • The Department of Surgery is committed to the psychological, emotional and physical well-being of all residents in the surgical education programs. Our wellness committee is comprised of both residents and faculty and works to support various wellness initiatives aimed at maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Each resident is given two wellness days off each year for personal use which can be used at any time. These days are free of any clinical duty and are in addition to the 4 weeks of paid vacation. We also recently implemented annual retreats for each class. These are weekend getaway trips organized by the residents and designed to allow all members of each class to be free of clinical duty.

Resident Life

Trainees at Dr Ault's house
Group photo of trainees
Jordan and Alex
At a gastropub
ACS Group photo
Social gathering
Three female trainees
Two male trainees
Group shot of trainees

Contact Information

Program Coordinator

Velinda Fulton

Program Director

Kenji Inaba, MD