USA Health Program

The General Surgery Residency Program at the University of South Alabama is the oldest in the State of Alabama, established in 1949. It is a fully accredited program that accepts five categorical residents annually. The USA Health University Hospital serves as a major referral center for the region, offering Level 1 Trauma and Regional Burn Centers, along with specialized centers for Bariatric Surgery, Digestive Health, and Cardiovascular Diseases.

The program's educational philosophy focuses on individualized training tailored to each resident's specific backgrounds and future ambitions. The curriculum includes active learning methods such as basic/clinical science case-based discussions, mock oral examinations, and simulation laboratories to develop operative techniques. The program boasts high ABSITE scores and a near 100% pass rate on the Qualifying Examination.

The residency program emphasizes team collaboration to provide the best patient care with a family-like environment. They have a diverse group of residents who excel as technical surgeons, intelligent physicians, and humanitarians, fostering a supportive learning environment.

Rotations cover a comprehensive range of surgical specialties and subspecialties, including exposure to trauma, emergency operations, surgical critical care, and various surgical disciplines. The core clinical education occurs at the USA Health University Hospital and the USA Health Children's & Women's Hospital, along with rotations in various private hospital settings to provide broad training experiences.

The program offers extensive opportunities for skills acquisition and emphasizes competency testing through simulation labs, laparoscopic skills labs, and anatomical dissection sessions. Research involvement is encouraged with dedicated time for scholarly pursuits.

Applicants are required to submit a complete file through ERAS, including transcripts, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and USMLE scores. The program is particularly interested in research experience and prefers applicants within two to five years of medical school graduation. They accept strong candidates from international medical schools and sponsor J1 Visas, indicating that U.S. clinical experience is desirable but not mandatory. The application deadline is October 1st.

The General Surgery Residency Program at the University of South Alabama provides extensive training under the mentorship of experienced faculty members across various surgical disciplines, focusing on creating competent and compassionate surgical leaders.