General Surgery

As of July 1, 1995, the Yale Affiliated Regional Surgical Residency at Bridgeport Hospital became integrated with the Yale University General Surgery Residency. As such, Bridgeport Hospital is one of the three campuses for the Yale General Surgery residents together with Yale New Haven Hospital and the West Haven Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The goals of the residency are to prepare residents for a career in general surgery and for certification by the American Board of Surgery.

Bridgeport Hospital provides an excellent clinical and educational environment. The hospital has a large volume of operative cases (12,000/year). The service requirements of the residency, however, are carefully monitored, and PAs play an integral role in the care of patients. This allows the residents to focus primarily on educational issues.

At any one time, 11 surgical residents are present at Bridgeport Hospital. These include two PGY 5s, one PGY 4, one PGY 3, three PGY 2s, and four PGY 1s. The resident operative experience includes a large volume of general surgery, including outpatient surgery, complex cases and laparoscopic surgery, colorectal surgery, head and neck surgery, vascular surgery, urologic, thoracic, and plastic surgery. Bridgeport Hospital has been certified as a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons and so accordingly the residents receive a broad experience in both blunt and penetrating trauma. In addition, Bridgeport Hospital is a Regional Burn Center, the main center for the State of Connecticut. Critical Care management is stressed and there is a separate Surgical ICU, Burn ICU, and Surgical Step-Down Unit. The teaching faculty consists of full time Bridgeport surgeons and surgeons who divide their time between Bridgeport and Yale. Teaching conferences include weekly Morbidity and Mortality, Grand Rounds, Trauma/Critical Care, Vascular Plastic Surgery, Surgical Oncology, and Colorectal Conferences. Faculty members are held to the highest academic standards; they are expected to publish in conjunction with the surgical residents, and participate in continuing medical education at the local, regional, and national level. Faculty areas of interest include trauma, burns, surgical infectious diseases, surgical nutrition, vascular pathophysiology, and surgical critical care.

In summary, Bridgeport Hospital provides surgical residents a unique experience by combining the resources of a large volume, tertiary care community hospital and the research and educational opportunities of one of America's leading universities.