Surgery Residency Program

Program Overview

The ETSU Department of Surgery provides residents with exceptional training in general surgery, ensuring graduates meet American Board of Surgery case requirements and gain a strong foundation for independent practice. The program follows the Surgical Council on Resident Education, or SCORE, curriculum and offers research opportunities supported by six full-time faculty, multiple postdoctoral fellows, and $8.7 million in funding, including $5 million from the National Institutes of Health.

Residents train primarily at Johnson City Medical Center, a 488-bed Level I trauma center, with additional rotations at Bristol Regional Medical Center, Franklin Woods Community Hospital, Holston Valley Medical Center and the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Fourth-year residents may also complete an international elective at Monze Missions Hospital in Zambia.

In the past 10 years, 65% of graduates have entered practice directly after residency, confident they can operate independently without a fellowship. At a time when about 80% of surgical residents nationwide pursue additional training, this reflects the program’s early, frequent and extensive operative experience that prepares residents for broad-based general surgery.

Watch our videos to learn more about the opportunities and experiences ETSU offers.

Why ETSU? Application Requirements Benefits

• Video Transcript: ETSU Quillen College of Medicine Surgery Residency Program Director

  [Speaker: Dr. Christy Lawson]
  Hello. I am Christy Lawson, the General Surgery Program Director at ETSU Quillen College of Medicine.

  Our program stands out for its comprehensive clinical experience, unparalleled opportunities in rural and international surgery, a strong emphasis on surgical education and research.

  We are committed to providing our residents with the highest quality general surgery training.

  Residents work with a variety of surgical faculty, from broad based community general surgeons to highly subspecialties surgeons with expertise in critical care, trauma, hepatobiliary, vascular, cardiothoracic, plastic and reconstructive and pediatric surgery.

  The ETSU Surgery Training provides clinical training experience based on the Surgical Council on Resident Education or SCORE.

  Our program provides excellent training in our five affiliate hospitals across healthcare systems.

  Clinical rotations vary from one on one apprenticeships to university rotations, where residents enjoy a team oriented structure.

  Johnson City Medical Center is our primary training hospital and a level one trauma facility.

  Bristol Regional Medical Center, Holston Valley Medical Center, Franklin Woods Community Hospital, and Veterans Affairs Medical Center provide excellent general surgery and endoscopy experiences.

  In addition to these hospitals, an elective international rotation is available to our residents in their fourth year.

  Our graduates either immediately enter practice as general surgeons or transition to advanced clinical fellowships.

  In addition, ETSU Department of Surgery sponsors a Global Health Fellowship.

  We prepare surgeons for a path to lifelong learning, the joy of teaching, and commitment to patient care.

  If you're a candidate who wants an academically proven environment that fosters your individual skills and passions while preparing you for independent practice or a competitive fellowship, ETSU Surgery is a place for you.

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• Video Transcript: ETSU Quillen College of Medicine Surgery Resdients' Testimonials

  [Speaker: Dr. Mary McBride]
  Hi, I'm Mary McBride, and I'm a General Surgery resident.

  I chose the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine General Surgery residency because residents here are prepared to go into practice after residency, or are competitive for fellowship, if we so choose.

  I was actually talking with another resident today about a senior resident walking me through an open inguinal hernia when I was an intern. Now that I'm an upper level resident, I was able to walk an intern through an open cholecystectomy just last week.

  We enjoy early operative experience supporting each other as we grow into surgeons. We truly do love spending time together at our five sites in the Tri-Cities area, as well as outside the hospital.

  There's a lot to do in Johnson City. You're set if you love the outdoors or if you want to come hang out with us at one of the local restaurants. I tell people that Johnson City has a small town vibe, but it's not actually a small town.

  We would love for you to come meet all the kind people here, learn about our program, ask questions, and become a part of the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine ETSU Surgery family.

  Thanks.

  [Speaker: Dr. Aws Ahmed]
  Hello, my name is Aws Ahmed one of the general surgery resident here at East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine.

  I grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, actually, and I came to the states in 2014. I finished my undergrad degree in Texas and moved to Tennessee for my medical school, and also to start my general surgery training.

  One of the main reasons I chose East Tennessee State University for my general surgery training, because I felt the program provide very broad based general surgery training that prepare you well, independently practice after finishing training without really going into fellowship.

  A lot of the trend in the country now for people going into fellowship because they don't feel comfortable operating on their own and they're not ready after a general surgery residency training.

  We rotate at different hospitals in the region, and we get exposed to the diverse patient population and opportunity to learn.

  We get a lot of our robotic training, for example, Franklin Community Hospital, and we get a lot of our trauma surgery experience at Johnson City Medical Center as a level one trauma center here in the region.

  We also practice at the Veterans Affairs campus here at Mountain Home in Tennessee, which we really get really early endoscopy and colonoscopy experience as the first year, our second year resident.

  Johnson City as a town as well, and term of also practicing our general surgery residency, as a town provide really a lot of opportunity to, for outdoor activity, hanging out with your friends, hiking, a lot of, good food around the area and not much traffic at all, which have the big, small and big city vibe. So, I think that's, really good thing about it.

  Feel free to if you have any questions, reach out to us. And welcome to East Tennessee State University.

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