Oregon Health & Science University OHSU Health Program

Program Identity & Fit

OHSU General Surgery is a large, university-based academic program that trains residents across eight Portland-area hospitals, spanning a university medical center, VA hospital, children's hospitals, an HMO, and community sites, giving residents exposure to how surgical practice varies across healthcare systems. A distinctive rural surgery track sends residents to Asante Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass, a high-volume Level 3 trauma center where residents can accrue over 1,000 cases in a year, paired with a dedicated research project on rural-tertiary care communication for esophageal cancer. Research is deeply embedded but flexible: most residents take an optional one- to two-year dedicated research block, supported by VirtuOHSU simulation infrastructure and a formal resident research program under a dedicated director, and it is required for competitive in-house fellowships such as colorectal, pediatric, plastic surgery, or surgical oncology. Graduate outcomes split heavily toward subspecialty fellowships at top institutions (Johns Hopkins, MSKCC, Cleveland Clinic, Penn) alongside a smaller contingent entering community or military general surgery practice, reflecting a program built to serve both academic and rural/community-facing career paths.