UCSF Fresno offers a well-rounded surgical training program that will train you to be highly skilled, safe surgeons. Case volumes more than exceed the minimum required number and typically averages around 1,000 to 1,100 cases per graduating resident. There is considerable 1:1 faculty to resident ratio in the cases. Operative experience start early in intern year and is highly encouraged by faculty. Medical students doing their surgery and elective clerkships from UCSF and UC Davis also give residents opportunities to be teachers, and role models.
Residents primarily train at Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC), the only American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified Level 1 trauma center and burn unit serving the San Joaquin Valley with a population of four million people. There is broad exposure to a wide range of patient population and ages, from pediatric to geriatric, and most importantly, to rare surgical pathologies, and advanced disease processes. Other rotation sites offer exposure to private practice models.
Residents have a broad exposure to all subspecialties of general surgery, including trauma and acute care surgery, burns, vascular, plastic, endocrine, and colorectal surgery. The Leon S. Peters Burn Center, located at CRMC, is the Central Valley’s only burn center and provides residents with hands on experience in providing comprehensive burn care. Residents also spend time in San Francisco at UCSF for their transplant rotation with housing provided by UCSF Fresno.
Other unique features include a recently renovated simulation lab with 24-hour access, hands-on exposure to the Da Vinci Robotic system, a robust weekly didactic schedule, and weekly skills lab sessions focusing on operative techniques and critical care scenarios.
We have close-knit group of residents that come from many backgrounds and there is a strong culture of collegiality. Our goal is to recruit applicants that have a strong work ethic and wish to train in a resident-oriented, supportive environment. The program also demonstrates strong social interactions with residents from other specialties such as Emergency medicine, Orthopedics, Internal Medicine, and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery.
The program follows and supports UCSF’s mission to support PRIDE Values | Office of Opportunity and Outreach UCSF
Life as a Resident
Surgical residency is challenging and it can be difficult to find balance between work and family. However, when there is free time, our residents find plenty of opportunities to have fun, spend time with each other, and develop a special bond.