General Surgery Residency Program

Welcome to the University of New Mexico General Surgery Residency Program. Our residency program is accredited to graduate seven chief residents per year. We have seven categorical intern and five preliminary intern positions per year. All residents are selected each year through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

Our program provides excellent academic and clinical training in all general surgical disciplines including Trauma, Emergency General surgery, advanced laparoscopic surgery, Surgical Oncology, cardiothoracic, Vascular surgery, and surgical critical care. Our graduates have gone directly into community practice and the spectrum of fellowship programs.

Key Highlights of the Program include:

• High volume operative cases >1,100 major cases at graduation, 300 as Surgeon Chief
• Emphasis on Clinical and Operative Autonomy
• Diverse Resident group
• Wellness program embedded in the curriculum
• Only two fellowship programs (Surgical Oncology, Acute Care Surgery)

Residents train with a surgical faculty committed to exceptional patient care and surgical education. The main clinical site is the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), New Mexico’s only Academic Medical Center and tertiary care hospital. We see a diverse and wide range of patients at UNMH, fulfilling the mission of the UNM School of Medicine and providing unparalleled surgical experiences for our residents. In addition to UNMH, our other clinical sites are the Albuquerque Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lovelace Medical Center, Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho, and Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo. Additionally, residents rotate at the University of Colorado for a transplant experience.

All residents are expected to participate in research and scholarly activity during their training. There are ongoing research projects in every division and section in the Department of Surgery with faculty ready to mentor our residents. A new department wide research club is in the works to help provide the infrastructure and resources to start new projects. We also offer an opportunity for one resident per class to take clinical time off and complete 2 years of research. Our research residents have been extremely productive and several have obtained advanced degrees during their research time. We average 5-10 resident publications per year and >20 presentations at national and regional meetings as well as our department research day.

The UNM Department of Surgery prides itself on training the next generation surgeons to serve their community, either in Academics or local hospitals. You will be extremely well prepared to succeed in a fellowship or going directly into practice. As a graduate of the UNM general surgery residency, you will have all the tools to be a successful surgeon.