General Surgery Residency

Jorge Ortiz, M.D.
General Surgery Residency Program Director

The goal of our program is to train exceptionally qualified surgeons who have the skills and ability to function at the highest level and provide state-of-the-art, compassionate patient care, in an academic, community or rural setting. For those pursuing a career in surgery, the years spent in residency represent the beginning of a lifelong commitment to furthering their professional skills, and to serving those who entrust them with their care. Garnet Health Medical Center offers a rich and diverse patient population, illnesses, and a variety of treatment settings.  Our active emergency department sees over 72,000 visits each year. Our surgeons are committed to resident education and bring with them a variety of teaching styles and experiences. All of these combine to make an outstanding opportunity for surgical training.

I was very excited to have the opportunity to lead a general surgery residency program in a new and growing academic medical center and educational hub. As the first new hospital built in New York State in 20 years Garnet Health Medical Center offers a modern, state of the art, carefully thought out setting for patient care. We are very proud of the fact that we were named the Most Beautiful Hospital in America in 2017. As a new residency program we have the opportunity to design a program that is best suited to train a surgical resident for the ever changing technology and skills required for modern surgery. In addition, we have the chance to rethink how best to train our residents to deliver skilled, empathetic and professional care.

The Middletown Campus of Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine is less than three miles from Garnet Health Medical Center. This adds further breadth to the residency program in many ways. Third and fourth year medical students rotate through the surgical service. The cadaver anatomy lab provides the opportunity for prosections and practicing exposures, and the virtual anatomy lab is a great place to review anatomical orientations and relationships.  

Additional experience in surgical oncology is obtained at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In addition to Garnet Health Medical Center being a busy trauma center, residents rotate through Maryland Shock Trauma, a burn rotation and transplant rotation at Westchester Medical Center and pediatric surgery experience at New York Presbyterian Hospital to ensure complete surgical training. Didactic instruction plays an integral part in the training program and is provided through both departmental and interdepartmental teaching conferences.

Our residency program provides a wealth of clinical and operative experience, a diverse house staff and faculty interested in teaching, as well as a variety of clinical and basic research experiences. Located upstate in Orange County, residents and their families have available a broad range of recreational activities including parks, hiking, canoeing, rafting, and skiing. Beautiful parks, great restaurants and a variety of cultural events add to the enriching environment. Close proximity to New York City adds to the entertainment opportunities available during off duty hours.

For questions about the program, please contact the Undergraduate Medical Education Department at SurgeryResidency@garnethealth.org. We look forward to meeting you.

Our program offers exposure to a broad range of surgical diseases. This is supplemented by an active emergency department which sees over 72,000 visits each year. Rotations through our affiliated hospitals add experience with penetrating:

• Trauma
• Transplant
• Burns
• Pediatric surgery
• Surgical oncology

We are committed to providing our residents with the cognitive and technical skills needed to independently practice within the community upon program completion.

PGY-1

• Blocks (2) - General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
• Blocks (2) - Acute Care Surgery
• Blocks (2) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
• Blocks (2) - Trauma
• Blocks (2) - Vascular and Thoracic
• Blocks (2) - Night Float
• Blocks (1) - Plastics

PGY-2

• Blocks (2) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
• Blocks (2) - Vascular Thoracic
• Blocks (2) - Night Float
• Blocks (1) - General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
• Blocks (1) - Acute Care Surgery
• Blocks (1) - Trauma
• Blocks (1) - ICU
• Blocks (1) - Elective
• Blocks (1) - Burn
• Blocks (1) - Maryland Shock Trauma

PGY-3

• Blocks (2) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
• Blocks (2) - General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
• Blocks (2) - Acute Care Surgery
• Blocks (2) - Columbia Pediatric Surgery
• Blocks (2) - Garnet Medical Center – Catskills, General Surgery and Endoscopy
• Blocks (2) - Westchester Medical Center, Transplant Surgery
• Blocks (1) - Vascular

PGY-4

• Blocks (2) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
• Blocks (2) - General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
• Blocks (2) - Acute Care Surgery
• Blocks (2) - Vascular
• Blocks (2) - Memorial Sloan Kettering, Surgical Oncology
• Blocks (2) - Garnet Medical Center, Catskills General Surgery and Endoscopy
• Blocks (1) - Elective

PGY-5

• Blocks (4) - Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics, and Endoscopy
• Blocks (4) - General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
• Blocks (3) - Trauma and  Acute Care Surgery
• Blocks (2) - Vascular

*Each block is 4 weeks.

• Apply now through ERAS
• Download the General Surgery Residency Program - Resident Handbook (PDF)
• Midas Link for Current Residents - accessible on-campus only

Surgical acting internships at Garnet are open to any student enrolled in an ACGME-approved Medical School. The experience will provide prospective surgical residents a chance to experience what it is like as an intern in a surgical residency. There are a variety of specialties that one can rotate with, and this will allow students a chance to see all that Garnet has to offer. Any rotating student is eligible for this rotation and is highly encouraged if planning on applying to our residency program. 

Acting Sub-I’s are 2 or 4 week rotations. Review of Audition Rotation applications will begin in March and roll into the end of the calendar year (December). Please submit Application forms and accompanying documents to the General Surgery Residency Program Coordinator. Please be sure to indicate your scheduling preferences in the Application form when submitting. Once confirmed for an Audition Rotation, please be sure to inform the General Surgery Residency Program Coordinator of any scheduling shift and off requests needed at least 2 weeks prior to start date.

Salary: 

• PGY-1 $62,885.00
• PGY-2 $65,086.00
• PGY-3 $76,545.00
• PGY-4 $80,372.00
• PGY-5 $84,391.00

Stipends:

• Annual education allowance - $750
• Annual meal stipend - $1500
• Annual lab coat

Paid time off:

• 20 days of paid time off

Please enjoy a short virtual tour video for prospective residents showcasing our our facilities: