Surgical Residency Curriculum

The educational curriculum is diverse and comprehensive, encompassing a variety of learning experiences. Residents engage in hours of lectures, demonstrations, bedside teaching, patient encounters, and field experiences. The didactic material is delivered during a weekly 4-hour conference conducted by the Surgery Department. Additionally, residents benefit from specialty conferences offered during off-service rotations and electives. During the surgery conference, attending staff assume patient care responsibilities, allowing residents to attend the conference freely.

Throughout the Surgical Residency program, residents dedicate time to patient care, educational activities, and research. The curriculum includes a range of presentations such as surgery grand rounds, morbidity and mortality reviews, clinical conferences, summer core sessions, simulations, journal clubs, and mock oral exams. Residents also have graded responsibilities for teaching and supervising junior residents and trainees within the Surgery Department.

The Kern Medical Surgical Residency Program consists of 13 four-week rotations per year, with some rotations taking place at Kern Medical for inpatient and outpatient services, and others at external sites in the region. External sites include the University of California Los Angeles, Community Regional Medical Center, Central California Heart & Lung Surgery, City of Hope, Valley Children’s Hospital, Adventist Health, Kern Vascular Center, Kaiser Permanente, and Bakersfield Surgical Associates.

In addition to the core curriculum, the program offers specialty courses tailored to General Surgery Residents. Formal certification is provided upon completion of these courses, enhancing residents' skill set and readiness for surgical care.

• These courses include:
• Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS),
• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS)
• Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES)

Rotations

PGY-1

Rotation	Weeks
Trauma/Acute Care Surgery	8
General Surgery/Thoracic	8
Night Float	4
Gl/Anes/SIM	4
Trauma/Acute Care Surgery	4
Colorectal/MIS	4
Night Float	4
General Surgery/Thoracic	4
Plastics	4
General Surgery/Thoracic	4
Colorectal/MIS	4

PGY-2

Rotation	Weeks
Transplant	4
Burn	4
Night Float	8
Trauma/Acute Care Surgery	8
Breast	8
Colorectal/MIS	12
General Surgery	4
Colorectal/MIS	4

PGY-3

Rotation	Weeks
Colorectal/MIS	12
General Surgery	12
Pediatric Surgery	8
Thoracic	8
General Surgery	12

PGY-4

Rotation	Weeks
Vascular	12
General Surgery	12
Hepatobiliary/Pancreas	12
ENT	8
Elective	4
Trauma/Acute Care Surgery	4

PGY-5

Rotation	Weeks
General Surgery/Thoracic	24
Trauma/Acute Care Surgery	24
Research	4