The residency program continues to be a source of pride for the department. The program received a full accreditation on our last Residency Review Committee visit. Residents continue to improve in their performance on the national board examination, shelf exams, and the USLME Surgical Section. We continue to attract significant numbers of candidates for the match National Rating Match Program (NRMP) and consistently match with our top candidates.

Our residents have received outstanding teaching recognition for their commitment to teaching and compassionate treatment of patients and families, students and colleagues. The 2005 Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award recipients were Osama Eltayeb, MD (Chief) and Reginald Williams, MD (PGY-4). The 2006 Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award recipients were Ahmad Nuriddin, MD (Chief) and Eric Capriles, MD (PGY-1).

The department’s residents continue to perform well in local and regional academic presentation events. During the 2005 Georgia Surgical Society Resident Forum, Arundathi Rao, MD, PGY 4, was awarded first place for her presentation. This year three MSM surgery residents, James Gonzales, MD, PGY 3, Arundathi Rao, MD, PGY 4 and Kibwe Weaver, MD, PGY 3, made presentations at the Drew - Walker Surgical Resident Forum of the National Medical Association held in Dallas, Texas, August 5-10, 2006. Drs. Rao and Weaver won the first and second place awards respectively.

Graduating residents continue to land prestigious fellowship positions, the most recent being the highly sought after Hand Fellowship at the University of Louisville and the CardioThoracic Fellowship at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California. The department is also proud of the past graduates of the program who now are assuming leadership roles in major institutions in laparoscopic surgery, surgical oncology, and breast surgery.