The surgery curriculum at the UPMC Shadyside Family Medicine Residency Program is geared toward the diagnosis of surgical conditions, managing pre-and postoperative care, and the performance of outpatient surgical procedures. One month is spent during the PGY-1 year on General Surgery. PGY-2 residents spend a week each in the Center for Perioperative Care and with the inpatient Wound Care team. This time is focused on developing diagnostic assessment and management skills and perioperative evaluation and care. Additional electives are available in all surgical subspecialties.
At UPMC Shadyside's Family Health Center Procedure Clinic, family medicine attendings supervise residents in procedures such as skin biopsies and excisions, cryosurgery, joint and soft tissue injection, colposcopy, IUD and contraceptive implant insertion, and toenail removal. Outside of the surgical curriculum, suturing experience comes with ER and obstetric rotations and treating simple lacerations at the Family Health Center.
A required workshop on the first day of the PGY-1 surgery rotation ensures a basic skill level with suturing techniques and surgical knot tying. The workshop along with hands-on experience during the rotation enable residents to achieve the required competency in surgical knot tying during the PGY-1 year. Additional didactic workshops focus on wound closure and common outpatient surgical procedures.