Education is provided in a traditional rotation model where residents round on and manage complex patients on the hospital floors, operate with attending supervision, provide consultations in the Emergency Department and other inpatient units, and rotate through the Shock Trauma ICU to manage complex trauma and surgical patients and become facile with bedside procedures.

Attending mentorship is provided by a faculty who have trained in general surgery and included those who have fellowship training in trauma / critical care, surgical oncology, colorectal surgery, minimally invasive surgery / bariatrics, pediatric surgery, transplant surgery, and vascular surgery.

Didactic sessions include basic science conference, pathology conferences, surgery grand rounds and M&M, and shared didactic series with Internal Medicine colleagues. Residents are encouraged to join weekly or bi-weekly Intermountain-wide surgical specialty discussion boards and tumor multidisciplinary conferences.

Specialty rotations and locations:

Intermountain Medical Center

• General Surgery
• Colorectal Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Vascular Surgery
• Transplant Surgery
• Trauma
• Plastics
• Shock Trauma ICU
• Endoscopy

Primary Children’s Lehi Campus

• Pediatric surgery

Utah Valley Hospital

• General surgery, trauma surgery, advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery

Protected education time – Friday mornings: 7:00 am-9:30 am ; Monthly Tuesday conference from 7:00am-8:00 am no clinical responsibility during this time  

Education Conference - This education conference occurs weekly and is protected time for residents. The curriculum spans across the entire SCORE curriculum with case based learning where residents and students are encouraged to be interactive. The conference includes a comprehensive topics including health disparities, global health, and wellness that are integral to surgical education. 

M&M - Classic M&M format with residents presenting cases and providing learning points to the resident body. The goals of our M&M conference is to and generate supportive discussion around difficult cases with focus on areas of improvement. The culture at SJH is exemplified here: that of a supportive community collectively striving to optimize patient care. 

Multidisciplinary Tumor Conferences - Breast Conference and Tumor Board are two separate multidisciplinary conferences held to provide comprehensive care to our surgical oncology patients. 

Simulation Lab – We have a room set aside with a variety of simulation equipment. This includes Laparoscopy trainers, colonoscopy simulators, manikins for placement of drains/lines/tubes, suture material, suture boards, ultrasounds, and more In addition, we have a robust robotic curriculum. Our program has a thoughtfully structured robotics curriculum that can start as early as day 1 of intern year. Simulation training is available at all times of day when actual robotic surgery experiences are not available to assist on. The hospital has a high volume of experienced robotic surgeons across many specialties including a range from hernias to thoracic to Whipples. 

Trauma Grand Rounds - Local, regional, or national experts presenting on topics specific to their practice or research. 

Mock Oral Boards - Quarterly conference where residents are taken through oral board type scenarios with immediate attending feedback. This is done in a small group format so that all residents can learn techniques and knowledge from the examiners and examinees simultaneously. Our program also hosts a city-wide full length mock oral board examination twice a year with other residencies in Denver to prepare residents for their certifying examination. 

Rotation Schedule:  

PGY 1 

• Acute Care Service – 2 months
• STICU – 2 months
• Surgical Oncology – 2 months
• ED – 1 month
• Trauma – 2 months
• General Surgery @ Utah Valley Hospital – 2 months
• GI/Anesthesia – 1 month 

PGY2 

• Acute Care Service – 2 months
• STICU – 2 months
• Surgical Oncology – 2 months
• Pediatric @ Primary Children’s hospital in Lehi – 2 months
• Trauma – 2 months
• General Surgery @ Utah Valley Hospital – 2 months 

PGY3 

• Acute Care Service – 2 months
• Transplant – 2 months
• Thoracic – 2 months
• University of Utah Burn unit – 2 months
• Trauma – 2 months
• Endo/Elective – 2 months 

PGY4

• Acute Care Service – 2 months
• Surgical Oncology – 2 months
• Vascular - 2 months
• General Surgery at Utah Valley Medical Center - 2 months
• Bariatric surgery – LDS Hospital – 2 months
• IMC General Surgery  – 2 months  

PGY5 

• Acute Care Service – 2 months
• Surgical Oncology – 2 months
• Vascular- 2 months
• Trauma -  2 months
• Bariatric surgery – LDS Hospital – 2 months
• IMC General Surgery  – 2 months

Intermountain Medical Center’s General Surgery Medical Residency will use the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) for each year's application process and match. The following information is required to be submitted to ERAS for your application to be accepted for review:

• Personal statement
• Dean's letter
• Medical school transcript
• Three letters of recommendation
• USMLE transcript (We do not recognize the COMLEX as an alternative to the USMLE for selection purposes for an interview.)

Interviews

• Formal interviews will be offered to selected candidates starting in October after reviewing applications
• All formal interviews will be done virtually at the recommendation of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Interviews will commence October - January. We will be utilizing a Thalamus video conferencing. The formal interview will not be recorded.
• At this time, there will be no in-person interviews.

Preliminary Applicants

• Applications must be submitted electronically through ERAS
• Due to the large volume of high-quality applicants that we receive, if you have a specific interest in our program please reach out via email to Susan Giles or Dr. Eric Sorenson to signal your interest. If you haven't heard about an interview by January 15, feel free to reach out by email.
• Interview offers will be sent out in October and all interviews will be done virtually via Thalamus in October, November, December, and January. 

We currently do not sponsor any sort of visas.

For questions or additional information, email susan.giles2@imail.org.

Resident Stipends

2024 - 2025 Academic Year

• Post Graduate Year I (PGY-I) - $71,500.00
• Post Graduate Year II (PGY-II) - $73,500.00
• Post Graduate Year III (PGY-III) - $76,500.00
• Post Graduate Year IV (PGY-IV) - $81,000.00

Benefits

• Four weeks paid personal leave
• $3,500 Educational fund per resident (can be used for board exams, study material, loupes)
• Tax-deferred retirement plan
• Free ACLS and ATLS provided early in training
• Free covered parking, adjacent to the hospital
• Food allowance provided for time on call and two meals provided free of charge on all weekdays
• Free access to fitness facilities, 24 hours a day
• Full, professional liability coverage paid by Intermountain
• Low-cost, employer-supplemented medical, life, dental and disability insurance

We offer a variety of social events throughout the year to help residents connect and unwind outside the hospital setting. These include a welcome dinner, hiking outings, quarterly resident parties, a holiday celebration, and an end-of-the-year dinner. With its stunning natural beauty and vibrant community, Utah provides countless opportunities for recreation and exploration – we’re confident there’s something here for everyone.

Residents enjoy all four seasons while in Utah. There are great opportunities to enjoy the outdoors outside of clinical responsibilities. The Wasatch Mountains are excellent for hiking, biking, fishing, climbing, skiing, and snowboarding. Six ski resorts are within an hour drive from Salt Lake.

• Enjoy plays, concerts, and entertainment at one of the many theaters and musical venues.
• Kids and adults can enjoy Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Tracy Aviary, the Loveland Living Aquarium, or one of the several museums. A 30-minute drive from downtown will take you to Park City where you can enjoy the Utah Olympic Park, skiing, and many other fun activities.
• Enjoy many historic landmarks such as Temple Square and This is the Place Heritage Park
• Local sports teams include the Utah Jazz, (NBA basketball) Real Salt Lake, (Major League soccer) and the Utah Hockey Club (NHL hockey), in addition to college sports at the University of Utah.
• Utah is the home of five national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Arches. All are within a 4-hour drive from SLC- perfect for a weekend trip! There are many other public outdoor landmarks to explore, including Bonneville Salt Flats, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the High Uintah Wilderness, and many National and State Forest lands.