The MGH Residency: A Unique Approach to Surgical Education

The Metropolitan Group Hospitals (MGH) Residency in General Surgery represents a unique approach to surgical training. Four excellent community teaching hospitals provide the setting for instruction. It is anchored by an academic affiliation with the University of Illinois College Of Medicine at Chicago and an association with Cook County Hospital. Because of its multi-hospital scope, the MGH Residency offers a broad base of clinical and operative experience. Residents have the rare opportunity of learning from a wide range of attending surgeons, benefitting from many perspectives on the art and science of surgery.

The principal goal of the MGH Residency is to produce surgeons competent to practice all components of general surgery, including head and neck, endocrine, trauma, breast, alimentary tract, Hepatopancreaticobiliary, splenic, vascular, and skin and soft tissue surgery. The program also provides extensive experience in endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures, as well as exposure to many subspecialties, including transplantation, critical care, cardiothoracic, burn, plastic, pediatric and bariatric surgery.

The four integrated MGH hospitals are Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago; Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge; Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, Chicago; and Saint Francis Hospital, Evanston. All institutions have a long history in surgical education and have multiple other residency programs offering extensive interaction between disciplines.

We continue to gain immensely from our university affiliation through the availability of a world class library, research laboratories, and an outstanding transplant rotation with experience in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.  Between the five institutions, our residents are exposed yearly to at least 20,000 general surgery cases as well as access to a plethora of other surgical subspecialty cases. World class faculties of 55 attendings are fully dedicated to resident mentorship and surgical education, and are well represented in their areas of expertise.

Scope of Surgery in 5 Institutions

The Metropolitan Group Hospitals Residency in General Surgery is administered by a residency governing board (the Surgical Joint Conference Committee, or SJCC) comprised of the chairpersons and directors of surgical education of the departments of surgery at the four MGH hospitals as well as the Chairman of the Department of Surgery of the University of Illinois at Chicago, along with a few active members from each institution.

The SJCC is responsible for planning educational programs, selection and assignment of residents, and the resident appraisal and evaluation.

Administration of the program within each institution is the responsibility of that hospital’s chairman of surgery and director of surgical education. Program Director chairs SJCC, is active practicing surgeon, and involved in all aspects of surgical education.

We offer:

Rigorous academic atmosphere with a broad experience in general surgery. Structured two- and five-year programs in evidence-based learning and research. Rotational opportunities offered throughout the four MGH integrated and two affiliated institutions.

A wide variety of surgical experience of between 900 and 1100 major operations per resident . Valuable Trauma/Surgical Critical Care experience including a Trauma/Critical Care Fellowship at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Outpatient clinic experience at each institution.

Educational allowance for conferences and paper presentations. Vast amount of educational and core curriculum material through your personal University of Illinois internet access.

Excellent support facilities including state of art operating rooms, surgical ultrasound, classrooms, libraries and media centers available at each MGH hospital. Housing on-campus at Illinois Masonic Hospital. Ethnically and socio-economically diverse patient population.