McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program

Program Identity & Fit

McGaw/Northwestern's General Surgery Residency is an academic, research-intensive program embedded within a department ranked among the top 10 in NIH funding, offering tertiary/quaternary clinical exposure across a network including Northwestern Memorial, Lurie Children's, and the VA. The program formalizes physician-scientist development through the Starzl Academy and a dedicated Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP), with most residents encouraged (though not mandated) to complete one to three dedicated research years between PGY-3 and PGY-4, supported by institutional T32 grants, named research awards, and a structured mentor-matching process. Curriculum design explicitly prioritizes education over service, with program leadership emphasizing psychological safety, entrustable professional activities, and faculty trained specifically as educators rather than incidental teachers. The program values residents oriented toward academic surgical careers, scholarly output, and long-term investigative trajectories alongside strong clinical training.