Welcome to the Vanderbilt General Surgery Website!
Thanks for your interest in our program. There are currently more than 300 ACGME approved General Surgery residency programs, and we consider ourselves one of the many excellent programs among them.
Vanderbilt General Surgery is approved by the Surgical Residency Review Committee (S-RRC) to graduate eight chief residents annually. Most (but certainly not all) of our graduates pursue fellowship training.
Our primary goal is to train surgical residents who can operate with confidence and competence. On average, our chief residents complete over 1000 cases and exceed operative requirements in all major categories.
Our residents rotate at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, and the Nashville VA Medical Center all of which are connected by a walkway. Some of our residents also rotate at Williamson Medical Center. We also have a S-RRC approved elective in global surgery – Vanderbilt International Surgery (VIS). This 4-week rotation is located at Kijabe Hospital in Kenya and the site director is Dr. David Nolen.
We promote diversity on multiple levels, including diversity of interests. Our residents research interests include basic science, translational, clinical outcomes, health policy and education. Research is encouraged and most (but not all) of our residents spend time in research after completion of the 3rd post-graduate year. Twelve of our 53 categorical residents are spending 1 to 3 years in research and several are pursuing additional degrees. These residents are encouraged and supported to attend and participate in local, regional and national meetings. As mentioned previously, all residents do not pursue fellowship training. We have residents who enter directly into private practice and even global surgery upon completing residency.
The number one strength of our program is our people. A collegial atmosphere exists between our attending surgeons, the departmental leadership, and the residents. We are a family – we work hard together, and we support/help one another. Another added benefit is location. We are located in Nashville, Tennessee which is a fantastic place to live!
https://www.visitmusiccity.com/explore-nashville/about-nashville
If you are interested in our residency program, please forward your application to us through ERAS. Applications are carefully screened using letters of recommendation, transcripts, activities, research, USMLE scores, and awards. We general receive applications from approximately 800 graduates of US medical schools and an equal number for international graduates. We interview approximately 80 candidates and match 8.
- We have 4 interview days scheduled for the Match season this year: December 15 and 18, 2020 and January 5 and 8, 2021. All interviews will be conducted via Zoom. Each candidate is interviewed by 2 faculty members and a senior/chief resident and has a short chat with a chair and a program director. The interview day includes a program overview, and a short virtual tour.
- There is an informal, gathering with the residents from 6pm to 8pm on the evening prior to each interview day. Families and significant others are welcome. This event will be hosted via Zoom.
- For interview dates on Friday (December 18, 2020 and January 8, 2021) we have virtual Grand Rounds from 7am to 8am. All interview candidates are invited to attend.
Our phone number is (615) 343-6642.
Feel free to contact any of us in the Surgical Education Office.
For the Surgical Education Team,
Program Director: Christina Bailey, MD, MSCI
christina.e.bailey@vumc.org
Associate Program Director: Rondi M. Kauffmann, MD, MPH, FACS
Rondi.kauffmann@vumc.org
Associate Program Director: Deepa Magge, MD
Deepa.r.magge@vumc.org
Associate Program Director: Shannon Eastham, MD
Shannon.c.eastham@vumc.org
Associate Program Director: Joel Bradley, MD
Joel.bradley@vumc.org
Residency Program Manager: Kaitlyn Jones
Kaitlyn.jones@vumc.org
Clerkship Director: Steven Eskind, MD
steven.eskind@vumc.org
Site Director for Williamson Medical Center: Mark Kelley, MD
Site Director for Kijabe, Kenya: Jason Axt, MD