Tips to Rank General Surgery Programs

Written by Rami S. Kantar, MD, MPH

You have finished all of your general surgery residency interviews, sent hundreds of thank you emails, and met dozens of general surgeons, general surgery residents, and applicants on the interview trail. Now what?

Now is the time to take a big deep breath and think hard about what you want your next 5-7 years to look like, and how to rank the general surgery residency programs you have interviewed at. Below are some tips and questions to think about that will hopefully guide you through that process!

Know when you have to submit your rank list. 

Make sure you know when the rank order list submission deadline is and double-check that you have submitted the rank list successfully! For the upcoming match cycle, rank list submission opens on February 1st, 2022, and the rank order list certification deadline is March 2nd, 2022.

Know your programs. 

The more you know about the programs that you have interviewed at, the more informed your rank list decision-making will be. How is the clinical training at the program? Are the volume and diversity of cases appropriate to train you as a well-rounded general surgeon? If you are interested in a specific specialty following general surgery, know if your programs offer enough exposure to that specialty and if graduates have successfully matched into their fellowships of interest. This is particularly important for competitive fellowships such as pediatric surgery and surgical oncology. Does the program offer enough research opportunities or require completing research time away from clinical training? How is the culture in the program and is the program known for accommodating residents and supporting them through personal events? You should obtain answers to these questions through your interviews and if you have not, you can always reach out to graduates of the program, mentors, fellow medical students applying to the general surgery match, and go through the program websites.

Know your priorities.

After you have collected all of this data about the programs you have interviewed at, it is time to know what your priorities are. Do you have any geographical preferences or restrictions? Do you want to pursue a career in academic surgery or would you rather work in private practice or as a community general surgeon? Is research something that you are interested in pursuing during residency or beyond, or do you not have any interest in research? There is really no right or wrong answer when answering these questions, and you should be completely honest with yourself about what your interests are and should not be pressured while making your decision. 

Best of luck and feel free to reach out with any questions!

Rami S. Kantar, MD, MPH

General Surgery Chief Resident, The University of Maryland Medical System/Shock Trauma Center

Incoming Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Resident, New York University Langone Health