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MGB/BWH General Surgery Residency

Welcome to the Brigham surgery residency! We believe we have a world-class surgery training program, and we welcome you to explore our website.

At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we combine top-notch clinical care with world-class research and cutting-edge education to provide a comprehensive surgical training program. Our residents rotate through a wide mix of hospitals, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which is a tertiary care referral center, as well as two community hospitals (Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital and South Shore Hospital), a VA hospital (the West Roxbury VA Medical Center) and Boston Children’s Hospital. Through those rotations, our residents experience the wide range of general surgical diseases. Most of our residents complete a two-year academic development period during residency. Our residents have done research in every aspect of academic surgery, from basic science to health services and global surgery.

We are looking for future leaders in American and global surgery. Brigham and Women’s Hospital has a century long history of producing surgical leaders. Not every Brigham graduate will be a department chairperson, but we believe that every Brigham surgery resident graduates with the skills to be a leader in surgery, whether at the local, regional, national or global level.

The true strengths of our surgery residency are our residents and faculty. We have a uniquely gifted group of trainees and faculty, and their camaraderie makes for a fantastic surgical training environment. If this is what you are looking for in a surgery residency, we hope that you will apply. We look forward to meeting you in the future.

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Program Overview

Our five-year ACGME-accredited general surgery residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital provides surgical education of the highest caliber, leading to American Board of Surgery certification in general surgery within an environment designed to encourage clinical and basic scientific investigational experience.

Surgical training at the Brigham and our affiliated teaching hospitals provides a potential daily inpatient population approximating 1,300. These combined hospital facilities allow each surgical trainee to obtain a large operative experience early in the training program and to develop independent responsibility in the pre and postoperative care of a variety of surgical patients. Most residents upon completion of their chief resident year have performed between 1,000 and 1,200 major operations.

For more information on Brigham and Women's Hospital surgical residency and other educational resident resources, please visit the Mass General Brigham Office of Graduate Medical Education.

Program Objectives:

  • To offer a general surgical residency through which the residency program graduate qualifies for board examination and the assumption of independent responsibilities in clinical practice after five clinical years of residency training.
  • To provide the first two years as a core junior surgical residency, preparing the candidate for further training in general surgery or in the surgical specialties.
  • To maximize the trainee's responsibilities in patient management both in and out of the operating room, starting in the first year.
  • To encourage those individuals interested in careers in academic surgery to develop the necessary skills in surgical research, education and/or administration through a broad range of available opportunities designed to maximize academic development.
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Overview

Teaching Locations

Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts. The Brigham is Harvard Medical School's second largest teaching affiliate. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two founding members of Mass General Brigham, the largest health care provider in Massachusetts. Brigham and Women's Hospital is an international leader in virtually every area of medicine and has been the site of pioneering breakthroughs that have improved lives around the world.

Our residents rotate at multiple institutions to obtain the wide variety of cases needed to become a leader in surgery. Residents rotate at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital our sister community hospital where many of our surgeons routinely operate; South Shore Hospital, where residents have high operative experience of "bread and butter" general surgery cases; and the Boston VA Healthcare System to obtain experience in the veteran population. The pediatric surgery component of the program takes place at Boston Children's Hospital, which is attached to the Brigham main campus.

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Teaching Locations

Residents

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Residents
Current Residents

PGY-1 Residents

Surya Adams, MD

  • Hometown: Detroit, MI
  • Education: MD, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; MA, Harvard University; Undergraduate, Amherst College
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Vascular, surgical oncology, global surgery, health disparities.
  • Personal Interests: Cycling, record shopping, traveling, cooking new recipes, and exploring art museums.

Mythri Ambatipudi, MD

  • Hometown: San Jose, CA
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Harvard College
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Surgical oncology, computational biology, omics
  • Personal Interests: Crocheting, digital art, mystery novels, apple picking every fall, baking pies.

Fares Awa, MD

  • Hometown: Providence, RI
  • Education: MD, Dartmouth; Undergraduate, Brown University
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Pediatric surgery, cancer care, health services and policy, medical education.
  • Personal Interests: Hiking, backpacking, live sports/music, planning vacations, drinking too much coffee.

William Éamon Callison, MD, PhD

  • Hometown: Denver, CO
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; PhD, Harvard University; Undergraduate, Washington University in St. Louis
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Pediatric Surgery, ACS/Trauma Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, surgical outcomes, healthcare disparities.
  • Personal Interests: Evolutionary biology, running, hiking, snowboarding, nature photography, cooking, visiting museums, and exploring Boston with my family and friends.

Jessie Mei Dalman, MD

  • Hometown: Portola Valley, CA
  • Education: MD, University of Michigan Medical School, Undergraduate, Stanford University
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Complex surgical oncology, immunology, reverse cardio-oncology, basic science.
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with loved ones, long-distance cycling, cooking, swimming, science fiction novels, gardening, British spy shows.

Erin Kim, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
  • Education: MD/MPH, University of Michigan; Undergraduate, Cornell University
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Surgical oncology, global surgical education, surgical access.
  • Personal Interests: Biking, protein-baking, live music, paddle sports, picnics, thrillers, and thrifting.

Lydia Pan, MD

  • Hometown: Winchester, MA
  • Education: MD, New York University; Undergraduate, Harvard University
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Surgical oncology, breast surgery, healthcare access, global surgery.
  • Personal Interests: Pilates, dance, reading, travel, trying new snacks at Trader Joe’s, and bopping around Boston.

Gabriella Taghian, MD

  • Hometown: Westwood, MA
  • Education: MD, Wake Forest; Undergraduate, Boston College
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Surgical Oncology, Breast Surgery, Global Surgery/Global Health, Surgical Education.
  • Personal Interests: Spinning, yoga, exploring new restaurants, spending time with family and friends.

Thomas T. Xu, MD, PhD

  • Hometown: Queens, NY
  • Education: MD/PhD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Duke University
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Transplant surgery, transplant immunology
  • Personal Interests: Playing basketball, distance biking, snowboarding, climbing, trying new foods, spending time with my friends and family, lounging with my two cats.

PGY-2 Residents

Sami Fares, MD

  • Hometown: Boston, MA
  • Education: MD, Case Western Reserve University; Undergraduate, Boston College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Vascular Surgery, Cardiac Surgery, Trauma/ACS. Failure to rescue research & vascular reconstruction in borderline resectable malignancy.
  • Personal Interests: Skiing, Backpacking, Running, Biking, Boston & Cleveland sports.

Saba Ilkhani, MD, MPH, MBA

  • Hometown: Tehran, Iran
  • Education: MD, MPH, MBA, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma and acute care surgery, health service research, financial toxicity, multidisciplinary care models, simulation lab
  • Personal Interests: Hosting family and friends, running, cats.

Angela Kristo, MD

  • Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
  • Education: MD, University of Wisconsin; Undergraduate, Ohio State University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Cardiothoracic surgery, acute/critical care, surgery/medical education
  • Personal Interests: Exercise classes, coffee shops, sports, reality TV.

Alexis Schiazza, MD

  • Hometown: Jackson, NJ
  • Education: MD, Columbia University VP&S; BS, Georgetown University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical education and simulation, transplant surgery
  • Personal Interests: NY sports, dance/theater, golf, beach games, woodworking.

Peter Sienko, MD

  • Hometown: Williamston, MI
  • Education: MD, University of Michigan; Undergraduate, U.S. Military Academy
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma surgery, health systems and healthcare policy, medical education
  • Personal Interests: Quality time with family and friends, traveling, hiking/camping, HYROX events, road cycling, being a heartbroken Detroit Red Wings fan.

Ikhianosen Ukhuedoba, MD

  • Hometown: Lynn, MA
  • Education: MD, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine; Undergraduate, Regis College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Colorectal surgery, global surgery, healthcare disparities
  • Personal Interests: Hiking, cooking, languages, time with family/friends.

Paul Wong, MD

  • Hometown: Arcadia, CA
  • Education: MD, University of California San Francisco; Undergraduate, UCLA
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, hepatopancreatobiliary surgery, tumor immunology
  • Personal Interests: Basketball, racket sports, hiking, restaurants.

Victoria Wu, MD

  • Hometown: Dublin, OH
  • Education: MD, Case Western Reserve University; Undergraduate, University of Pennsylvania
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, thoracic surgery, financial toxicity research, health disparities and health policy
  • Personal Interests: Hosting apartment cafes, traveling, exploring restaurants and coffee shops, racket sports.

Victor Yang, MD

  • Hometown: Boston, MA
  • Education: MD, Johns Hopkins University; Undergraduate, Harvard University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma, Thoracic
  • Personal Interests: Running, mountaineering, travel with friends

Talia Zimmerman, MD

  • Hometown: South Windsor, CT
  • Education: MD, George Washington University; Undergraduate, Georgetown University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, pediatric surgery, healthcare disparities, and surgical education
  • Personal Interests: Travel, exploring new restaurants, reading, cooking, walking around my city, indoor cycling, pilates, and spending time with friends/family.

PGY-3 Residents

Lauren de la Parte, MD, MSc

  • Hometown: Tampa, FL
  • Education: MD, University of Miami; MSc, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Undergraduate, Vanderbilt University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma surgery, global surgery, health disparities
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with friends/family and my cat, reading, trivia nights, live music, exploring my city.

Ali Dzhemiliev, MD

  • Hometown: Crimea, Ukraine
  • Education: MD, Bogomolets National Medical University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma surgery, colorectal surgery, global surgery, health services research
  • Personal Interests: Piano, guitar, running, Georgian folk dance.

Tessa Higgins, MD

  • Hometown: Charlottesville, VA
  • Education: MD, George Washington University; Undergraduate, Duke University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Breast Surgery, Surgical Oncology; Translational and Clinical Outcomes Research
  • Personal Interests: Cooking with friends/family, Live Music, Art Museums, Reading.

Olivia Lynch, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Newton, MA
  • Education: MD, University of Rochester; Undergraduate & MPH, Yale University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, breast surgery, quality improvement, health services research
  • Personal Interests: Running, Peloton, hiking/biking adventures, podcasts, cooking/baking projects, time with family/friends.

Thomas Martin, MD

  • Hometown: Point Pleasant, NJ
  • Education: MD, Brown University; Undergraduate, Brown University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Gastrointestinal surgery, advanced laparoscopy and robotics, abdominal wall reconstruction
  • Personal Interests: Family, travel, wine, and live music.

Charlotte Smith, MD

  • Hometown: Barbizon, France
  • Education: MD, University of North Carolina School of Medicine; Undergraduate, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma critical care, surgical education, global surgery, gender equity
  • Personal Interests: Medical illustration, Formula 1, travel planning, jazz clubs/restaurants, UNC sports.

Maya Srinivasan, MD, MFA

  • Hometown: Saratoga, CA
  • Education: MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Undergraduate, Dartmouth College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Art in Medicine, Surgical Education, Colorectal surgery
  • Personal Interests: Art, live music, all things in the outdoors.

Avery Thompson, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Portland, OR
  • Education: MD, UCSF; Undergraduate & MPH, Yale College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma and emergency general surgery, surgical education, public health and global surgery, healthcare disparities and access
  • Personal Interests: Traveling, reading, exploring Boston, hanging out with my puppy.

Mason Vierra, MD

  • Hometown: Monterey, CA
  • Education: MD, University of Chicago; Undergraduate, Vanderbilt University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, tumor biology, GI surgery, nutrition, healthcare policy
  • Personal Interests: Backpacking, guitar, writing, reading, cooking.

PGY-4 Residents

Orly Farber, MD

  • Hometown: Rockville, MD
  • Education: MD, Stanford University; Undergraduate, University of Chicago
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Colorectal surgery, surgical oncology, palliative care, communication in cancer care
  • Personal Interests: Reading, writing, running, cooking, over-committing to new hobbies.

John Gaspich, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Enola, PA
  • Education: MD, Pennsylvania State University; Undergraduate, Pennsylvania State University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma, Resuscitation, Vascular Trauma, Vascular Surgery, BCVI
  • Personal Interests: Endurance Sport, Weightlifting, Alpine and Backcountry Skiing, Craft Coffee.

Jamie Hillas, MD

  • Hometown: Woodbridge, CT
  • Education: MD, Dartmouth; Undergraduate, Middlebury College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Breast surgery, surgical oncology, surgical education
  • Personal Interests: Swimming, beach/water activities, board games, breweries/restaurants, baking breakfast treats.

Daniel Hoffman, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Chappaqua, NY
  • Education: MD, University of Pennsylvania; Undergraduate, Princeton University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical palliative care, general and acute care surgery, health services research
  • Personal Interests: Hiking, running, travel, wilderness adventures.

Kara Kennedy, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Harvard, MA
  • Education: MD, University of Massachusetts; Undergraduate, College of the Holy Cross
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, pediatric surgery, health services research
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with friends, running, baking desserts, audiobooks.

Joshua Roshal, MD

  • Hometown: Staten Island, NY
  • Education: MD, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Undergraduate, Rutgers University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: General surgery, surgical education, AI, simulation
  • Personal Interests: Music, cooking, golf, mindfulness, running, weightlifting.

Ashley Siegel, MD

  • Hometown: Coral Springs, FL
  • Education: MD, University of Central Florida College of Medicine; Undergraduate, Tufts University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Plastic and reconstructive surgery, abdominal wall reconstruction, surgical robotic curriculum, improving healthcare policy and health disparities
  • Personal Interests: Time with family, dog, home decorating, restaurants, Peloton.

Alyssa Stetson, MD, MPH, MMSc

  • Hometown: Newton, MA
  • Education: MD, University of Massachusetts; Undergraduate, McGill University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, pediatric surgery, clinical outcomes, global health
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with my family and dog, running, hiking, reading.

Sarah Tsou, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: San Jose, CA
  • Education: MD, University of California San Francisco; Undergraduate, Harvard College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Transplant, basic/translational research, senescence and alloimmunity
  • Personal Interests: Exploring new cafes and coffee shops, traveling, spending time with friends/family, crochet, attending live theater performances.

Bonnie Wong, MD, PhD, MSc (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Los Altos, CA
  • Education: MD, Stanford University; PhD, UC Berkeley; MSc, Oxford University; Undergraduate, Harvard College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, HPB, clinical communication
  • Personal Interests: Cooking, gardening, writing, traveling.

George Zhang, MD, MPH (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Rockville, MD
  • Education: MD and MPH, Johns Hopkins University; Undergraduate, University of Maryland
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Colorectal surgery, surgical oncology, surgical disparities
  • Personal Interests: Running, biking, nonfiction books, golf, basketball.

PGY-5 Residents

Isaac Alty, MD

  • Hometown: Lynchburg, VA
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, College of William & Mary
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma/acute care surgery, global surgery, surgical education
  • Personal Interests: Piano, motorcycle riding, skiing, hiking, camping, woodworking.

Jake Awtry, MD

  • Hometown: Hingham, MA
  • Education: MD, Johns Hopkins; Undergraduate, Boston University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, hepatobiliary disease, cardiothoracic surgery, mechanisms of aortic root aneurysm formation
  • Personal Interests: Podcasts, Boston sports teams, soccer, running, weightlifting, traveling, time with family, dogs.

Ilaria Caturegli, MD

  • Hometown: Baltimore, MD
  • Education: MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Undergraduate, University of Pennsylvania
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Oncology, gender disparities in surgery
  • Personal Interests: Playing the piano, sailing, skiing, yoga, hiking, cooking.

Annabelle Jones, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Homer, NY
  • Education: MD, Stony Brook School of Medicine; Undergraduate, Middlebury College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Colorectal Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Healthcare Disparities, Economic Impacts of Healthcare, Food Insecurity, Public Health
  • Personal Interests: Running, skiing, hiking, mountains/swimming holes, reading fiction, cooking new things, spending time with my husband & dog.

Yun Jee Kang, MD

  • Hometown: Latham, NY
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Harvard College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, cancer biology, health care disparities
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with friends/family, Great British Bakeoff, local coffee, podcasts.

Eliza Lorentzen, MD

  • Hometown: New York, NY
  • Education: MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Undergraduate, Amherst College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Breast surgical oncology; Mixed-methods health services research, patient-provider shared decision-making
  • Personal Interests: Tennis, skiing, cooking, travel.

Kerri McKie, MD

  • Hometown: Princeton, MA
  • Education: MD, University of Massachusetts; Undergraduate, Georgetown University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma and pediatric surgery, management of vascular trauma, antibiotic stewardship, health services and clinical effectiveness research, evolution of practice management guidelines, education and curriculum development
  • Personal Interests: Running, yoga, hiking, gardening and houseplant management.

Alexander Ordoobadi, MD

  • Hometown: Washington, D.C.
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Amherst College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma systems, prehospital trauma care, post-injury rehabilitation, abdominal wall reconstruction, emergency general surgery
  • Personal Interests: Skiing, running, hiking, kiteboarding.

Stefanie Soelling, MD, MPH

  • Hometown: Everett, WA
  • Education: MD, Emory School of Medicine; MPH, Emory School of Medicine; Undergraduate, Georgetown University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical Oncology, Melanoma, Surgical Education, Surgical Coaching, Performance Improvement, EPAs
  • Personal Interests: golf, tennis, sailing, scuba diving, all things Bravo.

Biqi Zhang, MD

  • Hometown: Fairfax, VA
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Duke University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Endocrine surgery, organizational and operational work that improves surgical care value and patient experience, patient navigation and advocacy, value-based care, surgical appropriateness, shared decision-making
  • Personal Interests: Frolicking outdoors with my toddlers and family, reading, attending live music shows.

Research Residents – First Year

Defne Altan, MD (PGY-2)

  • Hometown: Norman, OK
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Harvard University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, burn care, skin and soft tissue, health services research, systems and quality improvement
  • Personal Interests: Reading and writing fiction, singing and live music.

Pranammya Dey, MD, MBA (PGY-2)

  • Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
  • Education: MD, Yale School of Medicine; MBA, Yale School of Management; Undergraduate, Yale College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Breast surgery, surgical oncology, surgical innovation and AI
  • Personal Interests: Squash, movies, and exploring local restaurants.

Matthew Hey, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Orlando, FL
  • Education: MD, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine; Undergraduate, University of Florida
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Pediatric Surgery, Clinical Outcomes, Health Economics
  • Personal Interests: Running, Reading, Horology, Candles, Talking on the Phone with Jillian.

Nicholas Kelly, MD (PGY-2)

  • Hometown: San Diego, CA
  • Education: MD, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania; Undergraduate, Yale University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, shared decision-making, clinical trials, medical education
  • Personal Interests: Rowing, guitar, coaching recreational softball, doing impressions.

Vishal Patel, MD, MPH (PGY-2)

  • Hometown: Houston, TX
  • Education: MD, Dell Medical School; Undergraduate, University of Texas at Austin
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, health care policy, natural experiments in health care
  • Personal Interests: Pickleball, writing.

Kavya Pathak, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Rocklin, CA
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Harvard College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Colorectal surgery, acute care surgery; Health policy, payment reform, surgical care for older adults.

Akash Premkumar, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Johns Hopkins University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Thoracic surgery, surgical oncology, device innovation, surgical video creation, global health, quality measurement
  • Personal Interests: Tennis, basketball, weightlifting, stand-up comedy, trivia, biking, true crime documentaries.

Angelica Solomon, MD, MS (PGY-2)

  • Hometown: Tallahassee, FL
  • Education: MD, University of Kentucky; MS, University of Florida; Undergraduate, University of Florida
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, cardiac surgery, immunology/cancer biology, surgical device innovation, health disparities and policy
  • Personal Interests: World travel, exploring restaurants, photography, volleyball, golf.

Research Residents – Second Year

Ezra Brooks, MD (PGY-2)

  • Hometown: Cherry Hill, NJ
  • Education: MD, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Undergraduate, University of Pennsylvania
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Colorectal and general surgery; Healthcare economics, health system structure, patient financing, clinical outcomes
  • Personal Interests: Reading, rock climbing, cooking, gardening.

Christian Cullen, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Newnan, GA
  • Education: MD, Medical College of Georgia; Undergraduate, University of Georgia
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, global surgery, surgical education
  • Personal Interests: Anything outdoors, drumming, live music, dancing, scuba diving.

Kiryung Kim, MD (PGY-2)

  • Hometown: Seoul, South Korea; Chapel Hill, NC
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Columbia University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, hepatobiliary, pediatric surgery; Health services and outcomes research
  • Personal Interests: Going to concerts, drumming, trying new restaurants.

Taylor Nordan, MD (PGY-2)

  • Hometown: San Diego, CA
  • Education: MD, Tufts University; Undergraduate, Tufts University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Cardiac surgery, translational and outcomes research
  • Personal Interests: Grilling, golf, squash, reading.

Niyi Odewade, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Newark, NJ
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Amherst College
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Cardiothoracic, global health, health care disparities, innovation
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with family/friends, cooking/baking, drawing/painting, weightlifting/CrossFit, chess, traveling.

Julia Song, MD (PGY-3)

  • Hometown: Irvine, CA
  • Education: MD, Harvard Medical School; Undergraduate, Princeton University
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Surgical oncology, sarcoma, health policy, Medicare
  • Personal Interests: Piano, live music, hiking, go chess, bonsai, hanging out with my bird.

Aurelie Tran, MD, MPH(PGY-2)

  • Hometown: Irvine, CA
  • Education: MD, University of Michigan; Undergraduate, UC Berkeley
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Trauma, surgical critical care, healthcare disparities, health policy, outcomes research
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with my partner and cat, discovering new foods, exploring museums, basketball, hiking, board games.

Jillian Wothe, MD (PGY-2)

  • Hometown: Edina, MN
  • Education: MD, University of Minnesota; Undergraduate, University of San Diego
  • Clinical & Research Interests: Acute Care Surgery, Trauma Surgery, Abdominal Wall Reconstruction, Minimally Invasive Surgery; Surgical Education, Systems of Care
  • Personal Interests: Coffee, houseplants, audiobooks, going on walks around Jamaica Pond and the arboretum, the Minnesota State Fair.
Junior Residency Years

The PGY-1 year of the junior surgical residency consists of rotations through all of the general surgery services at the Brigham, Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, South Shore Hospital, West Roxbury VA Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as the Emergency Department, and the Surgical ICU.

For categorical general surgery residents continuing into the PGY-2 year, there are rotations through the Brigham general surgery services, and ICUs, the West Roxbury VA Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, South Shore Hospital, and a non-clinical academic development preparation rotation.

Senior Residency Years
Nine residents are appointed annually to each of the PGY-3, PGY-4 and PGY-5 (chief resident) years of the categorical general surgery program. The PGY-3 year includes rotations through the Brigham general surgery services, an elective rotation, General Surgery and Breast Surgery rotations at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Pediatric Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, the Brigham Emergency Department, and Transplant Surgery. The PGY-4 year provides a varied experience on the general surgical service and vascular surgery service at Brigham, Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital and South Shore Hospital. The PGY-5 year provides chief residents the responsibilities as required for American Board of Surgery eligibility and consists of rotations through the general surgery services at the Brigham, Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital and an apprenticeship rotation with a faculty mentor of their choice.
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Residents

Protected Education Time

Our program is fortunate to have weekly, protected education time wherein our residents are free from clinical responsibilities. These occur on Wednesday mornings and include the following programming:

  • Morbidity and Mortality Conference
  • Surgical Grand Rounds
  • Core curriculum based on the SCORE curriculum
  • Meet and greets with surgical leaders from across the world
  • Brunches with faculty and program leadership
  • Simulation and Skills Lab Sessions
  • Personal / Administrative Weekly Time

Additionally, all rotations include weekly specialty-specific education conferences.

Simulation Curriculum

Our residents have access to Stratus, a state of the art, 24/7 simulation center. In addition to independent practice, interns complete a comprehensive, 8-week bootcamp designed to teach them basic surgical skills under the guidance of experienced surgical faculty. Following bootcamp, there are monthly, PGY-specific simulations held in Stratus during protected education time on Wednesday mornings. These are led by faculty and are aimed at providing opportunities for practicing basic and complex surgical skills outside of the OR. Typical simulations are listed below:

  • Fundamentals of Knot Tying and Suturing
  • Introduction to FLS
  • Introduction to FES
  • Introduction to Robotic Surgery
  • Aortic Aneurysm Repair
  • Ultrasound Guided IV Placement
  • Chest Tube and Pigtail Placement
  • Handsewn Bowel Anastomosis
  • Laparoscopic Bowel Anastomosis
  • Emergent Cricothyroidotomy
  • End to Side Vascular Anastomosis
  • Emergent Thoracotomy
  • Poly Trauma Simulation

Robotic Curriculum

Our residents have access to both routine and complex robotic surgery cases. Our faculty includes leaders in hernia, bariatric, surgical oncology, and colorectal robotic surgery. Residents have access to a state-of-the-art robotic simulator and along with a defined competency curriculum. Additionally, several times per year, the residency offers PGY-specific sessions in partnership with industry to improve resident familiarity and skills.

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Educational Didactics and Conferences

Academic Development Time

The Department of Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital offers residents a high-quality research and academic enrichment experience, building on a long tradition which has been translated into new knowledge and procedures that benefit all. Research conducted at the Brigham has been recognized by many honors, including the Nobel Prize.

Our program is committed to supporting residents as they develop the skills, expertise, and professional identity that will shape their careers beyond clinical training. Residents have the opportunity to pursue two years of dedicated academic development time, allowing them to explore scholarly, educational, leadership, and professional interests in depth. The experience is intentionally flexible and individualized, reflecting the diverse career paths of our residents. Prior residents have pursued basic science research, health services and outcomes research, advanced degrees including MBA, MPH, and MFA programs, and experiences in innovation, policy, education, and private industry. During this time, residents work closely with faculty mentors to define goals, build meaningful scholarly portfolios, and develop the foundation for future careers as academic surgeons, clinician-scientists, educators, innovators, and leaders in surgery.

Building on generations of success, the Department of Surgery initiated a structured surgical research program for trainees that is founded on several important principles:

  • Programmatic structure to support the development of universal research skills and functions for a variety of academic/research focuses.
  • Mapped out timeline framework for excellence.
  • A system that is as low impact on trainees, faculty and staff as possible.
  • A plan that is competitive for extramural funding and is a worthwhile, important educational experience.
  • Experience that sustains the long-standing Brigham culture, in which research skills beyond clinical training are an integral component.

Resident Research Program Timeline and Resources

There are two appointed research faculty that work with each resident in preparation for their academic development time. There is also a research administration team to help support all pre-and post-grant funding applications and awards. While there is no dedicated funding for additional degrees, residents receive ~5k per calendar year for tuition through their MGB benefits (since research time occurs over 3 calendar years, this adds up to 15k). Additionally, scholarships exist to help pay for degrees. Many residents choose to conduct their research in established institutes such as the Center for Surgery and Public Health (CSPH), The Patient-Reported Outcomes, Value & Experience (PROVE) Center, and Ariadne Labs.

The timeline for academic development is as follows:

  • During intern orientation, the interns meet with the appointed research faculty to discuss the program and expectations.
  • During the fall of intern year, there is a research fair where mentors can showcase their labs and interface with prospective residents.
  • Throughout winter and fall of PGY-1, interns will meet with potential mentors and begin to plan their development time.
  • In Spring of PGY-1, interns decide if they are going out after PGY-2 or PGY-3.
  • During PGY-2, residents are given a dedicated block to work on grants, applications, and delineation of academic development goals.
  • During the year prior to academic development time, residents apply for society and federal grants under the guidance of their mentors. We also have a grant workshop for interested residents.
  • Throughout the year prior to academic development time, residents meet regularly with the appointed research faculty to discuss their plans.
  • Final research plans are approved by the department six months in advance of research time commencing.

Funding

Residents are paid at their PGY level and in accordance to resident union salary guidelines. Funding is obtained through grants obtained by the resident and/or their mentor, along with support from the department of surgery. The Department of Surgery research funding policy can be reviewed here.

Moonlighting

There are ample opportunities for moonlighting during academic development time at hospitals within the MGB system. This allows residents to make additional income in familiar environments and continue to develop their clinical skills.

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Academic Development Time

Resident Mentorship

Mentoring is essential for the development of our surgical residents. At the Brigham, we have a resident mentoring program that starts soon after Match Day, where a new intern is linked with both a faculty mentor and a resident mentor. These relationships welcome the new intern to the program and help with the transition to surgical residency. We also have a faculty class mentor, which organizes wellness and educational events for their respective class throughout the residency. We stress the importance of mentoring to our residents and faculty and encourage our residents to identify faculty mentors as they progress through the program.

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Resident Mentorship

Residency Wellness

Resident wellness is an essential part of our program culture. We recognize that surgical training is rigorous, and we are committed to fostering a supportive, connected, and joyful community both inside and outside the hospital. Our residents participate in regular wellness activities throughout the year, including residency-wide picnics, 5Ks, an annual softball game, bakery pop-ups, Secret Santa, curling with the Department Chair, and our annual resident retreat.

We also value informal time together, with frequent social events at Mission Bar & Grill, a favorite gathering spot located directly across from the hospital. These traditions give residents the chance to step away from clinical responsibilities, build friendships across classes, connect with faculty in a relaxed setting, and celebrate the shared experience of residency. Through both structured wellness programming and spontaneous community-building, our program strives to create an environment where residents feel supported, known, and energized throughout their training.

Using resident feedback, we have made significant progress toward addressing key issues that challenge surgical residents’ well-being. Recently, we initiated a peer support program which trains residents to support other trainees during difficult periods of training.

Post Graduate Careers

Most Brigham surgical graduates enter subspecialty fellowships following completion of their general surgery training. Graduates of our program are well positioned to match into competitive fellowships across the country. Recent graduates have matched fellowships in the following areas:

  • Acute Care Surgery
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Colorectal Surgery
  • Endocrine Surgery
  • Minimally Invasive Surgery
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Surgical and Critical Care
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
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Residency Wellness

General Surgery Residency Application Information

Applications

The general surgery residency program matches with nine new residents each year for the five-year categorical program. Nine chief residents will graduate each year. Residency positions for the general surgery program at Brigham and Women's Hospital are matched via the National Resident Matching Program. The NRMP number for the categorical positions is 1265440C0 and for the preliminary positions it is 1265440P0.

We begin the recruitment season each September for residency positions to begin the following mid-June. All resident applicants must register with the NRMP in addition to requesting an application from the AAMC Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Programs participating in ERAS may only accept those application materials sent electronically through ERAS. We will not accept any additional supporting documents by mail.

We will also be utilizing the AAMC Supplemental ERAS application for the upcoming interview cycle for a holistic review of all applications.

Requirements and Deadlines

We require the following documents to be available for download through ERAS for a complete application to be reviewed:

  • Curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Medical school transcript
  • Personal statement
  • MSPE
  • Three letters of recommendation (we do not require a letter from your chair/chief of the department of surgery)
  • USMLE or COMLEX-USA transcript

Our deadline for receipt of your residency application and all supporting documents is October 1.

Additional application requirements and information:

  • We require a passing score (on the pass/fail grading system) on USMLE Step 1 by the application deadline and both parts of Step 2 by the NRMP match date.
  • We sponsor H1-B and J-1 visas for categorical positions, but require that applicants have USMLE Step 3 completed by match date if you are planning on an H1B visa, as this is a visa requirement.
  • We sponsor only J-1 visas for preliminary positions.
  • We do not review any applications of candidates who graduated from medical school more than 5 years ago.
  • Each application is reviewed in its entirety with a focus toward a combination of overall academic excellence, leadership ability, career development potential and personal character. We review all applications anonymously without names, pictures or medical schools in order to mitigate potential biases, standardize the evaluation process within our system and create equitable opportunities to all applicants.

We interview approximately 75 candidates for the general surgery program each year. Although we receive applications from many well-qualified candidates, it is not possible to interview all who apply. All invitations are sent through email via ERAS between the last week in October to the first week of November. Interview dates are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, but we only offer the number of interviews available and do not invite more candidates than we are able to accommodate for interviews. Preliminary Interview invites will be sent in mid-December.

Interview Dates

The next BWH general surgery residency program interview dates will be held via zoom on:

  • Friday, November 20, 2026
  • Thursday, December 3, 2026
  • Thursday, December 10, 2026

Preliminary Interview:

  • Wednesday, January 13, 2027

Interview Format

All of our interviews will be held virtually for the upcoming interview season. We will hold a virtual, informal resident-applicant welcome reception the evening prior, followed by the interview day the next morning. We'll have an hour-long group orientation session with Dr. Gerard Doherty, our chair, Dr. Stephanie Nitzschke, the program director, and our associate program directors, as well as presentations by both our current interns and chief residents. Following the orientation session, each candidate will be interviewed by four key faculty members during group breakout meetings. We will be also hosting pre-interview zoom information sessions beginning in the fall and will publish the dates and topics via our surgery resident Instagram page as soon as they are available.

Program Leadership

Stephanie Nitzschke, MD - Program Director
Mark Fairweather, MD- Associate Program Director
Mohamad Hussain, MD, PhD - Associate Program Director
Kristin Madenci, MD - Associate Program Director
Matthew Nehs, MD, PhD - Associate Program Director
Naomi Shimizu, MD - Associate Program Director

Contact Information

For questions about the application process, please contact Sarah Herd.

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General Surgery Residency Application Information