University of Cincinnati Medical Center-College of Medicine Program

Program Identity & Fit

University of Cincinnati's General Surgery Residency is a research-intensive, university-based program built around a mandatory two-year (PGY-3/4) research block in which nearly all residents choose among named tracks (Trauma/Critical Care, Surgical Oncology, Pediatric Surgery, Outcomes/Education, or Cardiothoracic) supported by NIH T32 funding and dedicated lab space, producing roughly 325 departmental publications annually. Clinical training spans a quaternary university hospital, a Level 1 trauma center, VA and community sites, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital, with chiefs serving as primary surgeons on high-volume complex HPB and oncologic cases without fellow competition, plus a distinctive 8-week Global Surgery elective in Mzuzu, Malawi for senior residents. The program has a 100% subspecialty fellowship match rate for over a decade, and alumni outcomes lean heavily toward competitive fellowships (transplant, surgical oncology, trauma/critical care, colorectal, pediatric) followed frequently by academic faculty appointments. The department clearly values residents who will engage seriously with scholarly research, pursue subspecialization, and thrive within a structured, high-volume academic training culture in a low-cost Midwest setting.