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PGY 1-3 Residents - Surgery Residency Program

PGY 1

As a medical student at the University of Queensland - Ochsner Clinical School, I was fortunate to spend my clinical years at Ochsner, where I rotated through various surgical subspecialties. Senior residents quickly became like family, and New Orleans became my home away from home. The collegial atmosphere here is something I continue to look forward to as a resident.

As a large nonprofit hospital, Ochsner offers its residents a large operative volume that covers a wide spectrum of complex pathology. Our faculty, renowned in their respective fields, hail from around the country and bring with them a diverse range of training backgrounds and surgical techniques. By the time I complete my residency, I have no doubt that I will have the clinical foundation to handle any situation, however complex, in the operating room.

I wanted a program with a blend of academic and community-based training. Ochsner provides top-tier clinical excellence and research, while rotations in the bayou at Houma offer valuable exposure to general surgery in rural healthcare settings. This combination provides a comprehensive and diverse training environment, which is exactly what I was looking for. Additionally, its location in New Orleans provides a culturally vibrant background to enjoy during days off and a reason for friends and family across the country to visit.

While interviewing for programs, I emphasized those with a high volume of cases across diverse specialties and varied patient populations to gain a broad range of experiences in the OR. I sought a program that would provide ample early operative experience with residents and staff who were supportive and genuinely invested in my education and development. Additionally, I was interested in a program that would prepare me to become an excellent general surgeon while also offering opportunities to pursue a fellowship in competitive subspecialties if I chose to do so.

After interviewing at Ochsner and speaking with the residents, I realized that Ochsner offered the perfect balance of high-volume and varied general surgical procedures, as well as opportunities to explore the subspecialties that interest me. Ochsner, as a community-academic center located minutes from downtown New Orleans, represented the ideal intersection of everything I was looking for in a training program, while also allowing me to experience a vibrant city with deep-rooted culture and tradition.

I am confident that I will receive exceptional training and form strong, lasting bonds with my co-residents and mentors, enabling me to develop into a well-rounded and competent surgeon in any field I choose.

As I perspired incessantly over my residency rank list, there were a few programs that stood out as places that I could see myself thriving. I had not been very familiar with Ochsner before the application season, but as I learned more about the program, I could not help but feel that this was one of them. It was easy to see during my interview that the culture of the program, which has thrived under the leadership of Drs. Fuhrman and Gorham, is second to none. The residents and staff get along like family, and as someone without family in Louisiana, it was very appealing to me to have this support system on which I could rely. I was also impressed with how well the program aligned with my top values: early operative experience, a solid educational curriculum, responsiveness to resident feedback, and the flexibility to pursue fellowship or go into private practice. So far, the Ochsner experience has been everything I had hoped, and I am glad for the opportunity to spend five years learning here.

One of the things that was most important to me when looking for a surgical residency was a program that would leave me confident to go straight into practice after five years, but also give me option to match into a competitive fellowship if that’s what I decide. I knew that Ochsner would provide me with the support and guidance from incredible faculty to make both paths attainable. I was impressed with how many residents were involved in the interview process and how everyone was genuinely interested in getting to know me. Despite interviews being virtual, I was able to feel the camaraderie amongst the residents and faculty, and I ended the day feeling confident that this program would train me to be an excellent surgeon alongside people who would become like family.

When I was thinking about what I wanted in a surgical residency, I wanted a program that would offer me early operating experience with high case numbers but also exposure to multiple subspecialties with high acuity care. I felt Ochsner offered me the perfect ratio of a community and an academic program without closing any doors. Another huge factor for me was culture. Residency is hard and I knew I wanted to surround myself with residents and attendings who I could be comfortable around. After my interview, I knew it would be a great fit for me. Now, after nearly a month of residency, I am confident that I landed in the right place.

While I looked at early operative experience and volume when applying to programs, the factor I sought out most was a good culture. While interviewing I felt like the residents and staff were approachable and close knit. This has been affirmed to me after starting here as a resident.

Additionally, as someone who has lived in New Orleans for 10 years, Ochsner gave me the opportunity to serve the city and its people.

I chose Ochsner Health for Interventional Radiology because I knew I would receive great training and see a variety of procedures and pathologies over my six years. I attended UQ-Ochsner Medical School and really enjoyed working with the radiologist/interventional radiologists while on rotations and they are a huge reason why I chose to remain in New Orleans. Ochsner IR/DR is on the leading edge in multiple fields, and I know I can make a national impact during my training and beyond. Additionally, New Orleans is just a fun city to live in with great food, music and events.

I chose Ochsner because they embody everything I was looking for in a surgical program. They have the operative volume, breadth, and complexity necessary to graduate confident, excellent surgeons regardless of going out for a fellowship. Moreover, I knew Ochsner's training would prepare me for any competitive fellowships I chose to pursue. The commitment to resident education and the sense of camaraderie between faculty and co-residents provides an ideal environment for growth and success in surgery. Overall, I knew on my interview day that I would thrive at Ochsner and the community they have built into the program.

PGY 2

I wanted to find a program that would offer me a ton of operative experience while also keeping all doors open for fellowship and self-growth. I wanted to work with attendings and co-residents who could support me as I learn all that it takes to become a surgeon. I wanted to work for an institution that believes in and does make an impact on communities within and outside their city. Ochsner does all of these things and more. New Orleans is better because of this health system. I knew when I started working at Ochsner I would be able to become the great surgeon and physician-scientist I wish to be. If you are between programs all I can say is, pick Ochsner, you won't regret it.

When I was looking for a surgery program, my main goal was to find somewhere that I could be prepared to practice either general surgery in a community setting or pursue a fellowship if I chose. I remember Dr. Fuhrman saying in his welcome that Ochsner was the perfect place for people who weren’t exactly sure where academics fit into their lives. This really resonated with me and made me feel like Ochsner would support me in any career path I chose. I absolutely loved my interview day and everyone I met! I felt like I really connected with my interviewers and that I would fit right into the group of residents at Ochsner. The great culture among residents and faculty was obvious during my interview, and I felt confident that Ochsner would be a place where I could thrive and grow. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to train here and explore all that New Orleans has to offer!

When looking at different residency programs, one of the main things that I was looking for in a program was the ability to graduate after five years and feel confident going straight into practice if I wanted to, but also the ability to match into competitive fellowships if that’s what I decide. During the interview, I was impressed by the operative volume, matching into competitive fellowships, how genuine everyone was, and so much more. I feel confident that Ochsner will provide me with excellent general surgery training and the support to pursue fellowship if desired. Another important aspect of a program to me is the culture. Even through virtual interviews, I could tell that there is a culture of teamwork and camaraderie amongst the residents and the faculty. This was something I was really looking for and I’m so glad I get to be a part of this team. I’m looking forward to all the things I will learn and the ways I will grow over the next 5 years. To top it all off, I get to live in New Orleans which has so much to offer and has been a lot of fun so far!

After going to the UQ-Ochsner program for medical school and doing rotations at Ochsner, I knew that I would receive incredible training here. I was able to experience how diverse and complex the patient population was and how there was a very high operative volume. On top of that, I quickly realized the strong camaraderie among the residents and faculty, and I desired to be a part of such a close family. I am confident that Ochsner is well equipped in training me to become a strong, competent surgeon and succeed in whatever path I decide for my career whether it be general surgery or fellowship. Coming from the west coast, I was unsure whether I would fit in the south. I quickly came to love the culture and excitement of New Orleans from all the festivals it has to offer and the genuine kindness of its people.

My ideal program when applying was one that had high operative volume, early introduction into the OR, and a culture of true camaraderie and support. I found all of this and more at Ochsner. Every Ochsner resident I worked with during medical school would talk about how much they love their program and how well they got trained. It became apparent during my interview that this was where I needed to be when I was able to joke with my interviewers and they were genuinely interested in my goals. My training at Ochsner will more than prepare me to go directly into general surgery practice out of residency, but there are also plenty of opportunities for me to work towards fellowship if my goals change. The faculty is incredibly supportive, and we all really treat each other like family. Plus, nothing beats being able to work and live in New Orleans close to my family.

I knew Ochsner would be an incredible place to train being a community-academic program with early and generous operative experience. I think Ochsner's program provides a breadth of opportunities to the surgical trainee that aligned with my mission to provide surgical care for patients from all walks of life, satisfied by our experiences on all services at Ochsner Main and affiliated campuses, our general surgery rotations out in Houma, and Level I trauma center UMC. New Orleans is a city with a diverse population and rich cultural history. The kindness and generosity that comes with deep cultural roots permeates through the community fostered at Ochsner amongst faculty, staff, trainees, and patients. There is true community at this program. Combined with the amount of graduated autonomy offered throughout every level, it’s not surprising that training at Ochsner is well regarded throughout the medical community.

During my interview process I was looking for a residency that would have the staff, facility, and volume of cases to prepare me to be an excellent surgeon. Just as important, I wanted to find a group of residents with whom I felt comfortable and knew I would be able to work with. I had the opportunity to do an away rotation at Ochsner and got to see firsthand that it had everything I was looking for in a program, so it was a no brainer for me when it came time to make my rank list.

During interview season, the criteria I was looking for from programs were high operative volume, early OR experience, a positive learning environment, and most of all a strong camaraderie among residents. After my interview at Ochsner, I realized it had met all my criteria and more. Ochsner produces confident and competent surgeons that have matched into highly competitive fellowships or have gone on to private practice. I feel that at Ochsner whatever I decide to do, either fellowship or general surgery, I will be supported and prepared along the way while working with individuals that I enjoy being around inside and outside of the hospital. New Orleans is a vibrant city with a unique culture and phenomenal food. I am very excited to be at Ochsner and so grateful to have matched here.

PGY 3

I was drawn to Ochsner for residency for three main reasons. For one I knew that I was going to get excellent training, with a strong case volume and early involvement in the OR. Ochsner not only matches residents into highly competitive fellowships but also produces competent, confident surgeons ready for independent practice straight out of residency. Secondly, the variety of operative experiences, patient pathologies, and high acuity of cases attracted me to the program. And most importantly I wanted to come to Ochsner because of the camaraderie amongst the residents and faculty. I felt that I was going to be truly supported and cared for by my fellow residents and staff.

I was looking for a program with high operative volume, established reputation, and solid camaraderie among its residents. During my interview with Ochsner, it became quickly apparent that the program fit all I was looking for. The faculty truly enjoy their profession and teaching residents who are not only coworkers but also friends. Ochsner provides great and diverse opportunities for residents to become skilled surgeons in competitive fellowships or private practice. Moving from Florida to New Orleans has been a welcoming transition as the city offers great scenery, food, and people.

It was important to me to find a residency program that would keep all doors/opportunities open and offer high operative volume while providing a supportive environment. Ochsner does this and more! I am confident that whatever path I choose, general surgery or fellowship, I will be both prepared and supported along the way. The program is also dedicated to consistently finding opportunities to improve. One major aspect that drew me to Ochsner was the camaraderie among the residents and staff, which was apparent from the beginning. I knew I would receive excellent training and be happy here! The opportunity to experience these things with great people by my side in the incredible city of New Orleans is something I’m truly grateful for!

After attending the UQ-Ochsner program for medical school, I knew early on that I wanted to stay at Ochsner for my training. I have grown to love and cherish the unique culture and special people of New Orleans. The large catchment of underserved, affluent, and rural patients is unlike any other program in the city and is a standout strength of Ochsner. You truly help people from all walks of life. I also knew Ochsner would provide me with strong technical training, first and foremost as a general surgeon, and have every opportunity to pursue a fellowship.

When looking at surgery programs, I wanted a place where I would feel supported, work with people I genuinely wanted to see inside and outside the hospital, have approachable attendings, and graduate as a confident surgeon. Ochsner exceeded those expectations. Ochsner trains excellent surgeons whether for general practice or for further fellowship training, and I liked seeing those graduates from here pursued both routes. Plus, we get to train in NOLA; I’ve heard it’s a pretty cool city.

I chose Ochsner because I wanted to train in a place that I knew would create a competent, well-rounded surgeon that would be fellowship or general practice ready alike. I chose Ochsner because the late Friday afternoon interview felt more like talking with friends than just another Zoom call. I chose Ochsner because I knew that New Orleans and her people would not only challenge me as a surgeon, but also pick me back up when I needed it most. I chose Ochsner on Match Day, and I'm so glad I did.

Throughout the residency application cycle Ochsner was one of the programs that remained at the top of my list. It offered all the things that I was looking for in residency: Excellence in training, high case volumes, camaraderie among residents and a diverse patient population. During meet and greets and interviews it was evident that residents and staff enjoyed working together and the culture at the program was one of teamwork and respect. Ochsner also has a proven track record of training excellent, safe surgeons who can go straight into general practice or pursue competitive academic fellowships, which was important to me when considering programs. Living here now, it's also great to take part in the exciting cultural, musical, and culinary experiences New Orleans has to offer!