Community and Volunteerism - Surgery Residency Program

The Ochsner General Surgery Residency recognizes the importance of supporting URiM students and striving toward equality within our program, our community, and the patients we serve. Our residents and leadership participate in a number of community events and programs in an effort to promote these principles.

• Ochsner-Xavier Summer Surgical Internship – Initiated by Drs. Gorham and Money in summer 2021, the mission of this sponsored internship is to provide clinical exposure to General Surgery and surgical subspecialties to undergraduate students attending the New Orleans HBCU, to mentor, promote, and support these students in their path towards medical school. This 6-week summer program sponsors 4 Xavier pre-medical students per year.
• OPTIMUS – The Ochsner Program to Introduce Medicine to Underrepresented Students involves Ochsner mentors from various backgrounds to provide virtual and in-person events to provide education about career options, hands-on smiulations, experients, and tips, to prepare URiM students for careers in medicine. Faculty and residents from the General Surgery department participate in annual panel and career discussions, as well as facilitate procedural learning, including suturing, central line placement, thoracostomy, and emergency surgical airway.
• OASIS – The Ochsner Academics Summer Internship for Students is a 2-week program held in June the provides formative experiences to undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career as a physician, physician assistance, or researcher in the biomedical sciences. Students engage in didactic lectures, panel discussions, clinical cimulation, and clinical shadowing. Faculty and residents from the General Surgery department participate as “OASIS sponsors” for those students interested in exploring surgical careers.
• Catalyst Summer Intership Program – this program offers students direct mentorship and hands-on experience to expand their knowledge of the healthcare industry. Interns learn important skills to help them across various careers in healthcare.
• STEM NOLA Saturdays – STEM NOLA is a national leader in the design and delivery of STEM-based activities, programs and events to K-12 students, families, and communities (Events & Registration | STEM NOLA). The Ochsner General Surgery Residency volunteers at the annual “Lungs and Respiratory System” Saturday in June every year.

While there is no formal international elective rotation offered for residents at the time, there are a number of staff within the department who have long-standing relationships with surgeons and surgical volunteerism programs in other countries, including Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, and India, where residents may have the opportunity to participate. We are working towards a formal elective rotation in Bolivia in compliance with the ACGME and SRC requirements.

The University of Queensland – Ochsner MD program provides a global education and unique study experience during which students spend their first 2 years of the program in Brisbane, Australia, after which the MS3 and MS4 students gain hands-on clinical practice at the Ochsner Clinical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Faculty and residents serve as educators, mentors, and active participants in the UQ-Ochsner chapter of various surgical interest groups and suturing clinics.

Xavier-Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM) – Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health are teaming up to open a new medical school, the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine. This history school will be the only HBCU medical school in the Gulf South when it opens. There is opportunity for interested faculty and residents to participate in various Workgroups to lead in the mission to educate and train diverse physicians.