Our PGY3 Residents - Surgery Residency Program

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.

I chose Ochsner because I wanted to be part of a program that truly values its residents as both surgeons in-training and as people. During my interview, I felt a genuine sense of warmth and commitment from the leadership—It was obvious how invested they were in their residents' education and their lives. Talking with the residents, I knew this was a place where I would be challenged to grow and be surrounded by colleagues who are dedicated to each other’s successes. Training here means becoming the kind of surgeon I aspire to be while being part of a family that celebrates the journey.

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 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.