Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program

Program Identity & Fit

VCU General Surgery is a university-based, urban safety-net program anchored at VCU Medical Center, where residents describe high case volume and acuity across academic, community, and VA training sites, with particular strength in trauma, transplant, and critical care exposure. The program builds in one to two dedicated research years (most residents participate), a structured Thursday didactic/simulation curriculum, and an active Global Surgery Program (ACCESS Program, international partnerships in South America, Africa, and East Asia) for residents interested in global health and low-resource surgical systems. Graduate outcomes skew heavily toward subspecialty fellowship (surgical critical care, vascular, colorectal, surgical oncology, pediatric, transplant, cardiothoracic), indicating the program is structured to prepare residents for competitive fellowship placement rather than direct-to-practice general surgery, though a minority do enter community general surgery practice. The department's emphasis on evidence-based medicine, faculty mentorship, and a formal global surgery infrastructure suggests it values residents who combine strong clinical/operative performance with an academic or mission-driven trajectory.