General Surgery Residency Lubbock

The Basic Science and Clinical Lecture Series is held every Friday between 1000 - 1200. Each lecture is given by residents and mentored by faculty. Each lecture will cover topics from basic science and clinical points of view. Although each lecture is independent, the relevant topics on the subject are assigned through SCORE so the residents can adequately prepare for the lecture. All major topics within general surgery will be covered over a period of one academic year.

The Booklet of Information – Surgery is published by the American Board of Surgery (ABS) to outline the requirements for certification in surgery.  Applicants are expected to be familiar with these requirements and bear ultimate responsibility for ensuring that their training complies with ABS requirements, as well as for acting in accordance with the ABS policies governing each stage of the certification process.

Attendance at all rotation specific conferences is mandatory of all residents. Below is a complete list of the educational conferences:

• Patient Care Conference (Check-Out Conference) every morning at 0645-0715.
• Multidisciplinary ICU Team Meeting (for SICU residents) everyday 0830 – 0900.
• Multidisciplinary BICU Team Meeting (for BICU residents) every Friday 1200-1300.
• Morbidity and Mortality Conference Friday 0800-0900
• Trauma and Burn M&M Conference 2nd Friday of month 0800-1000.
• Resident Education every Friday 1000-1200.
• Clinical Competency Conference session every Wednesday 1200-1300.
• Individualized Remediation Study Sessions.
• Breast Conference every Thursday 1200-1300.
• Multidisciplinary Cancer Conference Every other Tuesday 1200-1300.
• Journal Club quarterly at 1800.
• Mock Orals (as scheduled)
• Technical Skills Practice Laboratory (as scheduled).
• Surgery Grand Rounds (as scheduled) Friday 0900-1000.

The increasing adoption of the robotic approach to minimally invasive surgery in multiple surgical sub-specialties has been associated with improved patient outcomes.  There are several benefits of the robotic platform to the surgeon such as improved ergonomics, 3D visualization, motion filtration, articulation, among others.  This means that robotic surgery will become the preferred approach to performing surgical procedures in the near- and long-term future. 

At  the Texas Tech University General Surgery Residency program, we recognize that acquisition of robotic surgical skills is critical for the future surgeon.  We, therefore; provide our surgical trainees with the resources and training to acquire these robotic surgical skills.

Over the last 3 years, we have instituted a structured resident robotic surgical skills training curriculum.  This involves online modules, robotic dry-lab skills training, easily accessible SimNow advanced robotic simulator for 24/7 resident practice, biannual (spring and fall) robotic animal lab training workshops, TASSL robotic surgical skills training courses, required robotic bedside-assist training AND required robotic surgeon’s console training. 

The goal of our structured curriculum is to provide our surgical trainees with the necessary robotic skills and increasing autonomy in robotic surgery throughout their training until they can independently utilize the robotic platform to perform general surgical cases. On their graduation, the chief residents will be certified in robotic surgery and receive an equivalency certificate and a TTUHSC program letter of completion of the robotic training curriculum.

Grand Rounds are held the first Friday of the month at 9:00 a.m. in the Academic Classroom Building.

The TTUHSC Department of Surgery hosts local faculty and outstanding regional or national speakers, who present on a range of general, cardiothoracic, vascular, pediatric, and plastic surgery topics in weekly grand rounds. Health professionals from other departments and from other institutions are welcome to attend.

The purpose of Grand Rounds and M&M Conference is to provide surgeons, residents and other attendees with up-to-date knowledge of surgical issues encountered in academic practice. It is expected that by promoting awareness of current advances in surgery, patient care will improve and mortality and morbidity will be reduced.

In addition, visiting professors also administer mock oral scenarios to upper level residents and provide feedback to better prepare them for their oral boards.

Objectives

1. Improve patient care by keeping abreast of current and new treatment modalities in diagnosing and management of common Surgery related diseases.
2. Cite current research findings in Surgery and critically analyze research issues.
3. Identify and discuss newer surgical techniques/therapeutic options in the treatment of selected diseases.
4. List radiological and pathological features of selected entities encountered by Surgeons.

To be eligible to take the American Board of Surgery qualifying examination residents must perform procedures in the minimum required number of cases in each surgical category. The table below shows required procedures, the minimum number of cases required and the average number of procedures in each category performed by our graduating chief residents.

Stipends

The stipends for interns and residents at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center are consistent with other medical centers in the Southwest and may undergo increased adjustments each year as appropriate. There are increments for each additional year of approved training.

Year 2024-25 stipends:

• PGY1: $63,725.03
• PGY2: $65,165.66
• PGY3: $67,223.47
• PGY4: $70,283.84
• PGY5: $72,369.95
• PGY6: $74,459.12
• PGY7: $76,548.30

Benefits

• Insurance:
       Malpractice
       Health
       Life
       Dental
       Disability
• Vacation:
       PGY 1-3: 15 days per year
       PGY 4-5: 20 days per year
• Registration fees paid for ATLS, ABLS, FLS, FES, ATLS Instructor Course and ACLS re-certification
• Lab coats which includes laundering
• Meal card ($125 per month) plus discount in UMC Cafeteria
• Subscriptions paid for TrueLearn, SCORE, and ABSITE Quest
• Pass Machine subscription provided at PGY 5 year (post ABSITE)
• Loupes provided at PGY 2 year
• Suturing Practice Supplies for PGY 1
  • Needle Driver
  • Practice suture board
  • Forceps
  • Knot tying board
• Travel expenses paid when presenting at a conference
• Free parking
• TTUHSC Library which includes access to research databases, eBooks, online journals, Exam Master and Board Vitals
• Sabiston textbook provided to interns

The TTUHSC General Surgery Wellness Program is an employee-focused program that offers education, fitness, nutrition and work stress management.

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Regular educational lessons include topics such as:

1. Goal Setting
2. Stress Reduction Techniques and Resources
3. Fatigue Mitigation and Management
4. Team Building
5. Work Life Integration
6. Mindfulness for the Surgeon
7. Posture and Ergonomics
8. Strategic Diet, Exercise and Sleep
9. Goals/Visions

A formal mentoring program is also a part of the wellness program. Each resident is assigned a faculty mentor as they enter the program. This program is to encourage and foster growth of each resident as they progress through the program and prepare for life after graduation.

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Don’t forget to check out the healthy and nutritious snacks we provide in the resident breakroom. This, in addition to the monthly meal card allowance, is to keep our residents full during their busy days.

The Surgical Simulation and Skills Laboratory at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is an integral part of the Department of Surgery’s residency program. Here we follow the ACS/APDS Surgery Resident Skills Curriculum. This allows our General Surgery residents to master essential surgical skills early in their training.

The Skills Curriculum utilizes a basic lab, a laparoscopic lab, a state of the art Simulation Center, as well as a newly constructed Institute of Anatomical Sciences Cadaver Lab. These different venues provide optimal learning environments for certain skill acquisition.

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• In our basic lab, residents are taught the fundamentals of knot tying, suturing, skin flaps, hand-sewn bowel anastomosis, and arterial anastomosis.
• In our laparoscopic lab, residents are taught the techniques of minimally invasive surgery and are individually prepared for the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic surgery (FLS) exam. 
• In the simulation center, residents are individually prepared for the Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES) by use of the colonoscopy/esophagogastroduodenoscopy simulator. Residents are also taught proper cricothyroidotomy and tracheostomy techniques in our simulation center
• In the Institute of Anatomical Sciences, residents participate in 4-6 cadaver labs per year. Each Cadaver lab focuses on teaching surgical maneuvers for certain pillars of General Surgery. These labs include Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET), Colorectal Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Hepatobiliary Surgery, and Thoracic Surgery to name a few.
• In addition, the residents participate in 4 live tissue labs per year. Each lab helps further development in a particular skill set. These live tissue labs include Robotic surgery, Laparoscopic surgery, and Trauma/Hemostasis.
   

Here at Texas Tech, we enjoy great support from vendors, who help provide for our educational activities with knot trying boards, suture boards, personal laparoscopic trainers, and extra programs in laparoscopic skills and live tissue labs.

The Texas Tech Department of Surgery is also a member of the Texas Association of Surgical Skills Labs (TASSL). TASSL’s mission is to enhance education using simulation based training for surgery residents and other learners by fostering collaboration and research.