Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Program

Surgery-General Analyst Verified · Aug 31, 2026

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Program

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Program is a residency program specializing in Surgery-General, located in Los Angeles, California, directed by Farin Amersi, MD and coordinated by Van Chau. The program accepts applications through October 1, 2027 and holds an accreditation status of Continued. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or 310-423-6637. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

Cedars-Sinai's General Surgery Residency operates within a large nonprofit academic medical center performing over 32,000 operations annually across 42 operating rooms, with more than a third minimally invasive and a strong institutional push into robotic surgery, including training outside surgeons in complex robotic techniques. The program is anchored by nationally recognized subspecialty divisions in transplantation, cardiothoracic surgery, surgical oncology, GI surgery, orthopaedics, and urology, positioning categorical residents for high-acuity, technically advanced case exposure rather than broad community-based general surgery practice. Graduates pursue prestigious subspecialty fellowships and academic achievement, indicating the program is structured around subspecialization and career advancement into competitive fellowships rather than terminal community general surgery. Structured peer "family" mentorship spanning all training levels alongside individual faculty mentors reflects an emphasis on longitudinal professional development within a hierarchical academic surgical culture.

Who it fits

An applicant targeting a competitive surgical subspecialty fellowship (transplant, cardiothoracic, surgical oncology, or complex GI/robotic surgery) who has already demonstrated strong technical aptitude and interest in high-volume, technology-forward academic surgical training.

Research intensity

Strong - research is highlighted as central to resident achievement and academic distinction, with graduates noted for substantial academic output, though not framed as a mandatory dedicated research block.

Career orientation

Fellowship - graduates are described as pursuing prestigious subspecialty fellowships and academic achievement as the program's defining outcome.

Important

International medical graduates are considered only if their school has an established affiliation with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA or with Cedars-Sinai through International Health.

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