Conferences

Not all learning can be gleaned from the bedside or texts. A strong didactic component of the resident education process is essential to teaching excellence in patient care. To complement these educational sources, the Department of Surgery has created a three-faceted educational program: conferences, oral presentation and written presentation of clinical information.

Conferences are divided into departmental and surgical specialty conferences. A Conference Curriculum Committee, which includes senior level residents, the program director, associate program director and a number of faculty members, has been added to the program. This committee is responsible for designing the curriculum that will cover a broad spectrum of topics most useful to the educational component of the residency. All categorical residents required to attend 75 percent of departmental conferences as mandated by the ACGME Residency Review Committee for Surgery. Resident also attend specialty conferences specific to their clinical rotation. The conference format varies from the formal presentations of patients and discussion of disease processes in General Surgery Conference to Grand Rounds to the debate format. On the first Thursday afternoon of each month, Ethics Pizza Rounds are held. At this informal conference, ethical and moral issues of patient care are discussed with Ira Kodner, M.D., and Mary Klingensmith, M.D.