University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Chattanooga Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a university-affiliated, high-volume general surgery program built around Erlanger Health System, a Level I trauma center and regional tertiary/quaternary referral hub for Southeast Tennessee, generating roughly 18,000 operative cases annually with residents managing door-to-door care of ~90% of General Surgery, Thoracic, and Vascular admissions. The curriculum devotes 11 protected months (PGY2-4) to research, and the department sponsors multiple ACGME fellowships (colon and rectal, surgical critical care, vascular) plus non-accredited neuro-interventional and ACS-approved mastery tracks, signaling a strong subspecialization and fellowship pipeline alongside broad categorical training. A distinctive feature is the mandatory PGY-3 rural general surgery rotation in Dayton/Athens, TN, pairing residents one-on-one with community-based rural surgeons, reflecting a program identity that bridges tertiary trauma/transplant care with rural surgical workforce exposure. Leadership longevity (one chair served 46 years), nearly all training "under one roof" with daily faculty contact, and a dedicated skills/simulation lab underscore a program that values continuity, hands-on technical development, and residents who can function across both high-acuity urban and rural surgical settings.