University at Buffalo Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a large, university-affiliated academic general surgery program built on a 150-year institutional history, training nine categorical residents per year across six distinct hospital systems within a 20-minute radius, including a level-one trauma/burn center (Erie County Medical Center), a VA hospital, a vascular institute (Gates), and the NCI-designated Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. The program emphasizes high operative volume (950-1200 cases per graduate), broad exposure to trauma, oncologic, vascular, and transplant surgery, and offers structural pathways for advanced training through Surgery Plus (fully-funded advanced degrees), an integrated vascular residency, and 1-2 year dedicated research tracks in basic, clinical, or outcomes science. While most graduates pursue fellowship, the program explicitly states that residents interested in general surgery practice are prepared to enter it directly, reflecting a dual orientation toward both fellowship-bound and practice-ready trainees. The department's research infrastructure (DARTS, SurgE, SOAR) and resident leadership committee suggest a program that values residents who engage with both high-volume clinical training and scholarly or quality-improvement activity.