Rotation Schedule by PGY Level

Conferences

• Morbidity and Mortality Conference
• Didactics which include the This Week in SCORE(TWIS) Curriculum
• Sub-Specialty Teaching Conferences
• Simulation Sessions
• Journal Club
• Grand Rounds
• Trauma Performance Improvement
• Service specific Tumor Boards – GI, Breast, Thoracic

Surgical Simulation

Simulation is increasingly being used throughout a physician’s career to prevent arrested skill development, refine new techniques, and improve teaching abilities and other important competencies. Danbury Hospital is home to the Harold A. Spratt Center for Simulation and Clinical Learning. It is an 8,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility and is always available for our trainees to hone their skills. We have dedicated time every week as a part of our educational curriculum where residents rotate through various stations to become masters of their clinical skills and techniques.  These skills are put to the test with our Sim Olympics which are held twice a year.

Simulation stations include knot tying and suturing, chest tube placement, central line insertion, vascular anastomosis, bowel anastomosis stapled and hand-sewn, laparoscopic simulation, endoscopic simulation, and robotic simulation as well as other stations that are created for certain sessions.

We also utilize the simulation mannequin, which is used for patient floor, ICU, trauma, OR, PACU and emergency room based scenarios and emergencies.

We have initiated an Intern Boot Camp that intimately involves the simulation lab during orientation to better prepare our incoming residents for the start of residency.

We have laparoscopic and endoscopic simulators to help prepare for the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) and Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES) exams which are taken during residency prior to graduating.

Research

Research is a fundamental part of resident education. With the fast pace of innovations and advancements in understanding the basic science behind and practice of patient care, surgeons in the 21st century must be able to critically evaluate and participate in scientific studies. The best way to understand the processes of research is to do it. We do not want to limit resident research involvement to basic science bench work. On the contrary, for most surgeons clinical and translational research will be most important in their careers. Although research opportunities are present during clinical years, categorical residents are required to take 1 year off between their PGY 2 and PGY 3 clinical years to perform research, with limited options to take no extra time to 2 years for research.

Danbury Hospital

Danbury Hospital is a 456-bed acute care hospital that offers award-winning patient care. For more than 130 years, the hospital has delivered mission-driven services to the community. We are committed to providing safe, convenient care to meet your personal healthcare needs. We have earned the distinction of being designated a Level II Trauma Center by The American College of Surgeons.
We are part of Nuvance Health™, a network of seven hospitals and numerous outpatient facilities in the Hudson Valley and Western Connecticut. Our patients benefit from the various multispecialty groups and services across the system.
Danbury Hospital features advanced technologies, making us a destination for innovative services.

The hospital offers both minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgery and is designated by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) as a Robotic Center of Excellence.

Danbury Hospital earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval as a Primary Stroke Center and offers highly advanced cardiac and vascular care. Other features include a state-of-the-art Level III NICU and compassionate psychiatric care, including a partial-hospitalization program.

New Milford Hospital

For the past 100 years, the team at New Milford Hospital has been caring for residents throughout Litchfield County. We have a tradition of providing warm and personal attention in a local setting.

We are part of Nuvance Health™, a network of seven hospitals and numerous outpatient facilities throughout western Connecticut and across the Hudson Valley. Our patients benefit from the various services and multispecialty groups across Nuvance Health.

New Milford Hospital, a part of the Danbury Hospital Campus, offers an unusual combination of top-notch physicians, world-class technology and advanced diagnostic and treatment options. We provide these services in a setting that is not only close to home but feels like home.

The physicians, nurses and support staff are passionate about caring for you. New Milford Hospital is a destination for advanced surgical services including minimally invasive orthopedics and spine surgery. The hospital also offers advanced diagnostics and treatment for cancer, and cardiac and neurosciences care.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center is a nationally recognized, 187-bed not-for-profit children’s hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation, we foster a patient- and family-centered environment with a focus on research, education and advocacy.

Connecticut Children’s serves as the primary pediatric teaching hospital for the UConn School of Medicine, has a teaching partnership with the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University and is a research partner of The Jackson Laboratory.

Connecticut Children’s welcomes, cares for and protects all children who walk through our doors. We are an institution of acceptance and compassion regardless of nationality or immigration status.

With a medical staff of more than 1,000 practicing in more than 30 specialties, Connecticut Children’s is a tertiary referral center that provides outstanding care to children of all ages affected by a wide range of conditions.

• BCLS and ACLS as incoming interns as well as when certification expires
• Subscription to ACS Fundamentals of Surgery Curriculum as an incoming intern
• ATLS (for categorical residents)
• ATOM (Advanced Trauma Operative Management) Course (for categorical PGY 4/5 residents)
• Subscription to SCORE curriculum
• Subscription to TrueLearn
• Reimbursement for board review courses as a graduating chief resident.
• Reimbursement for the application and exam fee for the QE of the General Surgery Boards.
• Funding for local and national academic paper or poster presentations
• Access to The University of Vermont’s extensive digital library collection
• 24-hour access to the surgical skills lab
• 24-hour scrub access
• Lab coats with laundering service
• Dedicated surgery resident lounge
• Overnight call rooms on site
• Meal allowances for overnight call
• Yearly educational stipend

Recognizing the positive impact of a diverse surgical workforce in improving access to healthcare and patient outcomes, the Department of Surgery at Danbury Hospital is pleased to announce the establishment of our Diversity Visiting Student Sub-Internship Scholarship.

This program will support a funded, 4-week sub-internship in general surgery for 4th year medical students from diverse backgrounds at Danbury Hospital. The program is open to applicants who belong to groups that are underrepresented from a social, economic, or educational perspective in surgery. A 4-week rotation will be offered from June-October in a variety of surgical specialties.

The student(s) will be assigned to a surgical team of their preference, and will participate in all aspects of patient care, including in the operating room, and in the in-patient and outpatient settings. The student(s) will attend all educational conferences with the surgical residents. They will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the general surgery residency program leadership and will be assigned to a resident mentor for the duration of their experience.

Interested students should submit a brief statement of interest (350 words), a curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendations to Dr. Susana Vargas-Pinto, Associate Program Director, Surgery Residency Program, susana.vargas-pinto@nuvancehealth.org

The general surgery residency program at Danbury Hospital is committed to support our female surgery residents during training. The Women in Surgery initiative was designed with the goal to encourage and help our female residents achieve their professional and personal goals during residency. We foster mentoring and peer support, and embrace diversity. In addition to our monthly meetings, which are designed to address issues affecting women surgeons today, and to promote a healthy work-life balance each female resident is provided with membership to the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS), https://www.womensurgeons.org/.

The Patricia A. Tietjen, MD Teaching Academy was founded in 2021, with the purpose of providing an interprofessional scholarly home for clinical educators across Nuvance Health. The Academy also offers a dedicated cohort experience for senior residents and fellows at Nuvance Health interested in a career in medical education. The first PATMDTA Trainee Track (TT) cohort comprised exclusively of residents and fellows launched in Fall 2023, with 14 scholars from across Nuvance Health. Scholars meet monthly in blended (more online / some in-person) format, participate in PATMDTA all-cohort events like the annual Educational Leadership Luncheon, and showcase their final scholarly project at the Annual PATMDTA Grand Rounds & Academic Symposium. Trainee Track Scholars created an evidence-based JiTT Infographic. (Reminder: JiTT stands for Just In Time Teaching and focuses on micro-teaching micro-content for micro-learning. Working with Dr. Alice Fornari, VP of Faculty Development, Northwell Health and Associate Dean at Zucker SOM at Hofstra/Northwell, each TT scholar will develop an evidence-based medical education infographic that will be converted and published within the JiTT App developed by Dr. Fornari, and available for free on the Apple Store or Google Play.) 22 scholars were accepted for the 2024-2025 Trainee Track of the Patricia A. Tietjen, MD Teaching Academy and their first in-person kick-off launches mid-September 2024.

2025-Main-Residency-Match-Detailed-Calendar

Q: What are the application requirements for the Danbury Hospital General Surgery Residency Program?

• Current Curriculum Vitae
• 3 Letters of recommendation
• Personal Statement
• Medical School Transcripts
• USMLE Scores
• ABSITE (American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination) Scores, if applicable
• ECFMG Certificate, if applicable
• Visa Status, if applicable

Q: How is your program structured?
A: There are 4 categorical residents per clinical year.  In addition to this, we have 3 non-designated preliminary intern positions.  Currently, 58 out of 60 months are in rotations at Danbury Hospital. A 1 month Pediatric Surgery rotation is done at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, CT. Both these away rotations are done in the PGY3 year.

Q: Can I visit your program to look at the hospital and speak with people in person?
A:  Due to health concerns with the ongoing CoVid-19 pandemic (including concerns about new variants), no in-person interviews or visits (“second looks”) are currently being conducted at Nuvance Health.  This is also in compliance with the request from the AAMC and recommendation from the APDS that the 2021-2022 Residency Application process is done virtually across the nation.

In addition to minimizing the national spread of CoVid-19, this creates a “level playing field” for any applicant who cannot travel due to personal health, school travel restrictions, or limitations from personal financial resources.  We understand the value of seeing the people and place you are thinking about spending a significant portion of your life.  The current decision for a virtual-only interview process this year was made with the health of our community and nation in mind as well as the goal of improving equity for all our applicants.  We will revisit in-person interviews and coordinated visits for the 2022-2023 season.

We, of course, cannot prevent any individual from coming to Danbury to see the community.  We, however, will not coordinate nor sanction any in-person meeting with any of the residents or faculty, nor facilitate any visits to Danbury Hospital.

Q: Do interns get to operate?
A: Yes!  The expectation is that interns will be operating at both the Surgeon Junior and First Assistant levels throughout the year.  The average number of Surgeon Junior cases performed by interns is approximately 100 each year.

Q: What is the call schedule like?
A: Except for the ICU, all teaching surgical services operate under a Night Float system.  The current Night Float schedule is a 14 hour shift on Sunday-Thursday nights.  Each level of resident will have 1-2 months of Night Float per year.  This leaves 24 hour calls on Friday and Saturday and a 10 hour call on Sunday day.  On average each resident who is not on Night Float will have one Friday, one Saturday, and one Sunday call per month.  Many residents request the Friday and Sunday-day calls to be on the same week, creating two completely free weekends off per month.

Q: What exactly is the relationship between Danbury Hospital and the University of Vermont?
A: Danbury Hospital, in combination with Norwalk Hospital and New Milford Hospital, constitute a second branch campus for the University of Vermont, the Connecticut Clinical Branch Campus.  Medical students enrolled in this branch campus spend the first 2 didactic years of medical school in Burlington, Vermont.  They then spend their clinical rotation years at the Connecticut Branch hospitals.  Surgery residents at Danbury Hospital receive appointments as Clinical Instructors at the University of Vermont.  The surgical residencies at Danbury Hospital and the University of Vermont (Burlington) are completely separate.

Q: What is the difference between the Danbury Hospital Surgery Residency and the Health Quest Surgery Residency?
A: Danbury Hospital and Vassar Brothers Medical Center (where the Health Quest residency is based) are part of the same clinical network, Nuvance Health.  The two residencies are completely separate, although there are faculty members who operate at both sites and independently work with residents from both programs.

Q: What are your score requirements for the USMLE and ABSITE?
A: The Danbury Hospital General Surgery Residency Program does not have strict minimum requirements as we have a holistic approach to application review.

Q: Am I still eligible to apply to your program if I have not taken the ABSITE?
A: Yes

Q: Am I still eligible to apply to your program if I have only taken steps 1 and 2 of the USMLE?
A: Yes

Q: Do you participate in ERAS and NRMP?
A: Yes.

Q: Will you accept an applicant who has not participated in ERAS and NRMP?
A: No

Q: Are you participating in the ERAS secondary application pilot for general surgery this year?
A: Yes we are.  Applicants are encouraged but not required to complete the secondary application.

Q: Does the Danbury Hospital General Surgery Residency Program accept applications from foreign medical graduates?
A: Yes

Q: Does the Danbury Hospital General Surgery Residency Program sponsor visas?
A: Yes, H1B visas are sponsored by Danbury Hospital on a limited basis.

Q: Are there any other visas the Danbury Hospital General Surgery Residency Program will accept?
A: Yes, the J1 visa through ECFMG

Life is not just about work! Although Danbury is not Manhattan (and we are only an hour away), there are still plenty of opportunities for excitement in this town…outside the operating room.

Restaurant Options

After a long day’s work or if you just want to enjoy a night out with friends or family, Danbury’s large selection of fine restaurants will make your night fulfilling. Cuisines from around the world are available including Japanese/Hibachi, Chinese, Italian, Brazilian, Indian, and many more delicious options.

Entertainment Options

What better way to finish a great night out than with a movie or play? A conveniently located movie theater is only minutes from the hospital with the most up to date movie selection. If theater is what you prefer, there are a number of playhouses in the area featuring interesting and unique plays, concerts, art galleries, etc.

Shopping

Danbury Fair Mall is a massive shopping mall with practically every store a shopaholic would desire. The beautiful sky lit interior and the ample food court make for a great way to spend a Saturday.

Activities for Children

Let’s not forget about the kids! If you have a family and children, who don’t like to spend their days in the hospital like you, there are plenty of fun activities around town to keep your kids entertained. From apple and pumpkin picking, to parks and bike trails, rock-climbing and planetariums, there is bound to be something that will spark your family’s interest.

Outdoor Activities

Located at the foot of the Berkshire Hills, Danbury offers countless outdoor activities. . The natural hills and lakes formed within the valley of these hills make the city an ideal location for a fishing, boating, swimming, whitewater rafting, hiking, rock climbing and skiing.

Summer Activities

In the summer, the city of Danbury is a popular lakeside community with activity centered around Candlewood Lake. Numerous marinas and man-made beaches provide fun in the sun for residents and visitors alike. Popular lake side restaurants offer fine dining directly on the water with frequent sea boat landings and boating dockside service.

During the warmer months, hiking, bouldering and rock-climbing are accessible at Bear Mountain reservation, which provides more than 21 miles of easy to strenuous hiking trails for the outdoor enthusiast. The park provides free parking and maps are available for day hikers both online and from the park ranger’s office. Indoor rock climbing with autobelay is also available at Danbury Sport & Wellness Center and the CT Rock Gym.  For the whitewater adventurist, Danbury offers Class I-V rapids during February to May. Whitewater rafting is available in both kayaks and 4-6 man rafts at Bull’s Bridge Gorge in Kent, CT. Also located at Kent is one of the country’s most spectacular natural waterfalls. Kent Falls is a series of 3 waterfalls which drop more than 150 feet collectively. The falls form shallow pools and natural water slides, which are open to swimmers year round.

Winter Activities

During the winter months, skiing and snowboarding are available at more than 10 resorts within a two-hour radius of Danbury. The closest community ski resort is only 8 miles from Danbury — in Brewster, NY. Other local ski resorts include Mohawk Mountain, Woodbury Ski Resort, Mad Hatter Ski & Skate Park, Thunder Ridge, and Mount Peter. Seasonal lift tickets and gear rentals are available at the resorts and at local Ski Haus outlets.

Other local attractions include local Connecticut and Vermont sugar houses to harvest and observe maple syrup production. Frequently, maple sugarhouses also have farms and orchards connected to them which allow for visitors to pick their own seasonal fruit. Local famer’s markets in Danbury and Ridgefield offer a variety of culinary delights, including local creamery offerings of goat, sheep and cow cheeses. Organic produce, specialty items and fine cut butchery offerings are also available at weekend markets.