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Residency question

Started by DiverDoc
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DiverDoc

KCUMB 2012
15+ Year Member
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To be a trauma surgeon. What residency(s) are required.. Do you go through a "trauma residency" ? or Gen. Surgery and EM? How exactly does that work.. Thanks for any replies.
 
dIvErDoC said:
To be a trauma surgeon. What residency(s) are required.. Do you go through a "trauma residency" ? or Gen. Surgery and EM? How exactly does that work.. Thanks for any replies.

5 years general surgery

1-2 years fellowship in trauma or surgical critical care

fellowship isn't mandatory to be a trauma surgeon
 
If you are still applying to medical schools, the only concern that you should have is getting in.

To answer your question, a trauma surgeon usually does a 5 year General Surgery Residency and then completes a Trauma Surgery Fellowship (~1-2 years). There are some places that offer Truama/Critical Care dual fellowships.
 
For the most part, a gen surg residency (5-7 years) is good enough for trauma since the gen surg residency prepares you for trauma pretty well. For some surgeons, they continue on to a 1-2 year fellowship in trauma, trauma/burn, trauma/critical care. Some surgeons hate trauma because they don't get to operate enough, trauma has a tendency to do a lot of babysitting. Just to let you know, to do trauma, you don't have to do a fellowship, most "trauma" surgeons don't (a lot of gen surg will take a weekend here or there on trauma call depending on the hospital). A gen surg residency will suffise.