PGY 4-5 Residents - Surgery Residency Program

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!

When I was evaluating programs for residency, I focused on reputation, post-residency placement, and location of training. Ochsner excelled in all these areas. Its reputation as a strong general surgery program was frequently mentioned by my mentors in medical school. Additionally, Ochsner’s graduates were placed into competitive fellowships as well as directly into practice as general surgeons. This assured me the strength of the program matched the reputation as the residents were confident to enter practice without additional training. Lastly, the opportunities to explore the music, food and outdoors in and around New Orleans is truly unmatched in the United States. I’ve had many great experiences in New Orleans with the Ochsner residents and look forward to many more!

When researching programs and deciding what qualities I was looking for in a residency, I quickly realized that there were plenty of programs that boasted high surgical volumes, diverse patient populations, and broad-based surgical training. However, Ochsner stood out amongst these for its ability to consistently produce confident and competent surgeons who could match into competitive fellowships or go straight into practice at the end of five years of residency. Overall, Ochsner felt like a place where I could learn to be a capable, caring surgeon in the company of people who care for each other as much as they care for their patients.

I chose Ochsner because I wanted a program where I had options. Ochsner will give me the training to either go into fellowship or straight into general surgery practice. I also wanted a group of faculty and co-residents that would be supportive. Throughout the interview process, Ochsner was the only program that I felt like I was not going to be limited.

The 2020 interview season was a new experience for students and programs alike. When researching programs, I knew that I wanted to train at an institution that prides itself in academic rigor, with strong case volumes all the while maintaining a supportive culture between both faculty and residents. It was clearly apparent on my interview day that these were all highly valued here at Ochsner. Since starting, I have been pleased to see how the camaraderie between my fellow co-interns, residents, and faculty lends itself to excellent patient care. As a French major in college, I couldn’t help myself but to be drawn into the rich culture and history of La Nouvelle-Orléans and La Louisiane. I am thrilled to start my training here at Ochsner and know that I will be readily prepared for whatever surgical career path I choose to follow.

Ochsner was an easy choice for me after doing multiple rotations here as a UQ-Ochsner student. I was immediately impressed by the wide variety of pathologies that the residents are exposed to here at Ochsner. As a tertiary referral center, Ochsner gives residents invaluable experience in high level procedures within all areas of surgery. I also appreciate how the program provides the opportunity to spend time training in rural settings each year because this allows the residents to become more confident in assessing and operating on common general surgery pathologies. It was clear to me that the residents here at Ochsner finish as well-rounded general surgeons, prepared for both private practice or fellowship. Adding in the fact that there is a great deal of camaraderie amongst the residents at Ochsner, it makes for a residency program that I am extremely proud to be a part of for the next five years.

Ochsner is a wonderful place to train for a number of reasons. Ochsner has the reputation of graduating confident, skilled, and safe surgeons that are ready to go straight into general surgery practice or land spots in highly competitive subspecialty fellowships all throughout the country. What truly makes Ochsner special is the fact that this high-level training is provided within a culture of camaraderie, support, and mutual respect. The 2020 virtual interview season brought with it new challenges. Many programs struggled to convey their culture in an online format. During my interview with Ochsner, it was immediately clear that these are the kind of people I would be happy to see day in and day out. Ochsner has the operative volume to develop surgical skill, a well-regarded faculty dedicated to nurturing the next generation of surgeons, and a culture any surgical trainee would be lucky to be a part of. On top of that, you get to do it all in one of the most fun cities in America!

I interviewed at Ochsner because of the program's reputation. I chose Ochsner after learning about the breadth and depth of training offered to its residents, starting early in intern year. Through multiple training sites, ranging from the quaternary care offered at Ochsner Medical Center to the rural general surgery rotation in Houma, Ochsner gives its residents the opportunity to pursue competitive fellowships or to go straight into practice as general surgeons, with confidence. This opportunity is only furthered through the friendly and supportive training environment that's fostered by the residents and faculty.