Garden City Hospital Program

The General Surgery Residency at Garden City Hospital is a robust five-year categorical residency program designed to commence at the PGY-1 level. This program places a strong emphasis on community-based general surgery while facilitating out-rotations that provide residents with additional experience in important specialties including Trauma, Surgical Intensive Care, Vascular Surgery, ENT, Hepatobiliary, Surgical Oncology, Pediatric Surgery, and Transplant.

The curriculum is strategically designed to promote a hands-on approach to learning, with significant teaching conducted in the operating room as well as at the bedside. Throughout their training, residents collaborate closely with a dedicated core group of experienced surgeons, which allows them to assume progressive responsibility as they enhance their clinical knowledge and surgical skills. Additionally, residents engage in the education and supervision of junior house staff and medical students, thereby fostering an educational environment conducive to learning.

The program is fully accredited by the ACGME, ensuring it meets rigorous standards of medical education.

Program Structure

Key facts about the General Surgery Residency include:

• Program Duration: 5 years
• Approved Positions: 15
• Current Filled Positions: 7

The leadership is provided by esteemed faculty, including the Program Director Richard Spinale, DO, who has a substantial background as a practicing General Surgeon and has dedicated over three decades to training future general surgeons. The Associate Program Director, Angad Pordal, MD, is also a board-certified general surgeon who has a keen interest in surgical education and the development of the resident curriculum.

Curriculum Details

The residency curriculum is meticulously structured into rotations over the course of five years:

PGY-1

• 7 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC
• 2 months of Vascular Surgery – Trinity St. Mary’s
• 1 month of ICU – GCH
• 1 month of Anesthesia – GCH
• 1 month of GI – GCH

PGY-2

• 6 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC
• 2 months of Trauma Surgery – DMC Sinai Grace
• 2 months of Surgical ICU – DMC Sinai Grace
• 2 months of Hepatobiliary Surgery – Ascension Providence

PGY-3

• 6 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC
• 2 months of General Surgery Robotic – Corewell Health Farmington Hills
• 2 months of Vascular Surgery – Trinity St. Mary’s
• 1 month of ENT – Ascension St. John
• 1 month of Surgical Oncology – Ascension St. John

PGY-4

• 5 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC
• 2 months of Trauma Surgery – DMC Sinai Grace
• 2 months of Pediatric Surgery – DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan
• 1 month of Transplant – Henry Ford Detroit
• 2 months of Electives

PGY-5

• 12 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC

Elective rotations that may be available include specialties such as Colorectal, Thoracic, Plastics, UroGyn, Bariatrics, MIS, Foregut, and Orthopedics, allowing residents to tailor their educational experience to their interests and career goals.

Visa Support and Competitiveness

The program is known to be competitive but is also welcoming to a diverse range of applicants, including DOs and International Medical Graduates (IMGs). As part of the residency application process, the program supports various visa types, including J-1 and H-1B visas, facilitating opportunities for international candidates.

Application Requirements

As with most residency programs, there are specific application requirements. These may include a maximum number of failed STEP exams and considerations regarding the year of graduation. Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the program’s specific stipulations when preparing their applications.