General Surgery Residency

Overview

Thank you for your interest in Cleveland Clinic’s General Surgery residency program. The training offered here provides an unmatched exposure to the entire spectrum of surgical diseases and procedures with abundant opportunities for research and professional development in a supportive environment. Trainees in our program are in the operating room from the beginning of intern year and finish with around 1000 cases. As a high volume international referral center, our residents operate on and care for some of the most challenging and complex patients. However, they also perform a substantial number of operations commonly seen by General Surgeons in community practice. The result is a robust toolbox of skills that prepares our graduates to take on any surgical problem.

Residents have the option to pursue 1-3 years of supplemental professional development time after the 2nd year of clinical training. This is an optional, flexible experience designed to meet the individual goals of the trainee. The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute has nearly 200 basic science laboratories with whom our residents can train. An accelerated program is available for physicians who wish to obtain a PhD in Molecular Medicine making it possible to complete during these years. A large number of ongoing clinical trials are also available for those interested in clinical research. Mentoring in outcomes, quality and education research is also offered. The available experience outside the clinical training years augments the multitude of opportunities for scholarship that can be pursued during clinical training. Department funding is available.

One of the most important elements of our program is the collegiality and camaraderie between the residents and faculty. Our structured advising program is supplemented by access to mentors who guide trainees towards their chosen fields. While most of our graduates pursue fellowship training after residency, around 15% go directly into academic or community practice.

On this website you will find more details of our program. If you believe our program fits your personal and professional goals, we invite you to apply for one of our 10 categorical positions through ERAS. If you have further questions, though, please feel free to contact us. We believe it will become clear why Cleveland Clinic’s General Surgery residency program is one of the best.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Lipman, MD, FACS, FASCRS
Program Director, General Surgery Residency
Associate Professor of Surgery
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University

Residency Program Leadership

Conor Delaney, MD, PhD
Chair, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute

R. Matthew Walsh, MD
Chair, Department of General Surgery

Tony Capizzani, MD, FACS
Associate Program Director for Didactic Curricula

Ajita Prabhu, MD, FACS
Associate Program Director for Simulation

John Rodriguez, MD, FACS
Associate Program Director for Resident Development

Steven Rosenblatt, MD, FACS
Resident Intermediary Associate Program Director
Medical Student Education Director, Surgery Clerkship

Judith French, PhD
Surgical Educator

Joseph Trunzo, MD
Site Director, Fairview Hospital, General Surgery Residency

Kalman Bencsath, MD
Site Director, Hillcrest Hospital, General Surgery Residency

Clinical Training & Conferences

Our residency program is unique because of its diversity, case volume and variety of teaching settings. We are proud to have faculty and residents within our ranks that come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Resident education and research are at the forefront of our department. Our residents have the opportunity to rotate in a variety of clinical settings, from a leading quaternary teaching hospital with some of the most complex patient presentations to community hospitals and outpatient surgery centers with straightforward general surgery cases. All residents are guaranteed to be exposed to a large number of cases from all aspects of modern general surgery.

Experience

Our training philosophy is to involve the entire team, especially residents, in patient care at all times – pre-operative decision making in the clinic or in consultation, in the operating room, and during post-operative care. Experience is gained by operating on skill appropriate cases at our high volume quaternary care hospital, community hospitals, and ambulatory surgery centers. Leadership is developed by conferring a high level of responsibility early in the training program with progressive autonomy and responsibility. The most senior resident on a service is charged with assigning operative cases to residents and fellows, ensuring an optimal experience that is tailored to each resident.

Surgery Simulation

The Cleveland Clinic Center for Multidisciplinary Simulation has laparoscopy, flexible endoscopy, and endovascular surgery simulators, in addition to being a Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) and Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery training and testing site. Residents have 24 hours access to the sim-lab. The Stanley Shalom Zielony Simulation and Team Training Labs are also available for simulation sessions arranged for residents every 3 months, including ICU and trauma mock scenarios with Harvey the cardiopulmonary patient.

Night Float/Call Format

The main hospital has a night float system, consisting of a team of PGY-1, PGY-2, and PGY-4 residents. This format allows all team members to operate in level-appropriate cases, provide longitudinal care of patients, and dedicate time to research projects, leadership positions, and knowledge development. When not on the night float rotation, junior residents typically take call two weekends per month and senior residents take call about once a month. We adhere to all ACGME work hour regulations, including the 80-hour work week and an average of one day off per week averaged over the month.

Morbidity and Mortality Conference

Each week the chief residents electronically report cases for the M&M conference. The conference faculty moderator selects cases for presentation based on their teaching merit, and moderates the discussion. The resident who operated on the patient presents the case, focusing on the clinical decision making, why the complication occurred, how the case could have been managed differently, and a review of the relevant literature. The focus of the conference is improving clinical decision making to improve patient care. Each hospital holds its own M&M conference.

Grand Rounds

These hour seminars, teaching rounds, and lunch discussions are given by invited faculty and visitors. These presentations are aimed to faculty and residents to promote surgical learning. Presentations are on a broad range of topics, including clinical topic updates, world health, surgical history, etc.

Cleveland Clinic Conferences

Our residents may attend high-level, multidisciplinary conferences taught by our world-renowned faculty aimed at practicing digestive, vascular, oncologic and endocrine disease specialists. These combine clinical management updates by thought leaders, hands-on skills development, and quality and patient safety developments.

Who makes up the PGY-1 surgery class?

Our PGY-1 class is made up of PGY-1 General Surgery residents, Integrated Vascular, Cardio Thoracic and Plastics Surgery, Urology, Orthopedic, ENT, and Non-Designated Preliminary Surgery residents. There is a different set of rotations across the subspecialties for each resident group designed to meet the learning needs of each specialty.

PGY-1 Fundamentals of Surgery Seminar Series

Residents arrive as PGY-1’s with a range of knowledge and clinical experience. All General Surgery, Urology, Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Integrated Vascular, Cardiothoracic and Plastics Surgery residents have a year long curriculum with weekly reading topics and didactic seminars. Chairman’s rounds also occurs during this time once a month.

PGY-2-PGY-5 Conference

Every Wednesday after M&M conference, all PGY-2 through PGY-5 residents attend a three hour educational conference involving lectures by staff, case presentations by a senior resident, and journal articles presented by junior residents. The curriculum for this conference takes place on a two-year revolving schedule based on the SCORE curriculum. Simulation lab training and Ponsky’s rounds also occur during this time. This is protected education time where all residents are excused from their clinical responsibilities.

Service Specific Conferences

Each service holds its own conference (weekly) and journal clubs (monthly). Journal clubs are normally held at restaurants.

Mock Orals

Several mock orals are held throughout the year. These are rotation specific and level appropriate. Residents of all levels undergo mocks oral in preparation for board exams. Dr David Krpata holds a weekly mock oral prepping where two residents are selected to practice in each session.

Mentorship Program

Each trainee, upon entrance to our program, is assigned a faculty mentor. This staff-member will facilitate the trainee’s integration into Cleveland Clinic and assist them throughout their time here. Trainees meet with their mentors at least twice a year to go over their milestones, evaluations, progress and accomplishments. Many mentors and trainees develop research collaborations and discuss career goals, job placements and personal issues.

Administrative Experience

Residents have the opportunity to participate in administrative roles very early on their path through the program. Two administrative Chiefs Residents are elected by the program administration to assist in the day-to-day administration of activities of the program, including rotation schedule, call schedule, education improvements, etc. In addition, residents have the opportunity to hold membership in the department’s education committee, residency recruitment committee, research committee, intern orientation, quality improvement committee, serve as the medical student liaison and help organize social events.

Opportunities for electives both inside and outside Cleveland Clinic

All PGY-3s, 4s and 5s have a designated block of elective time each year. This time may be used for additional exposure to one of the core rotations at the main campus or regional hospitals. Alternatively, this time may be used to pursue other interests including cardiac surgery, plastic surgery or kidney and pancreas transplant. International rotations, as well as electives at outside institutions, are also possible.

What is the surgical volume for residents upon graduation?

The average case number of graduating residents is between 1,100-1,200 cases. Additional, they graduate with an average of 120 upper and lower endoscopies.

Rotations & Teams

PGY-1 (4 weeks per rotation)

Acute Care Surgery
Acute Care Surgery Night Float
Colorectal Surgery
Bariatric Surgery
Bariatrics/Surgical Endoscopy
Endocrine Surgery
Fairview Colorectal/Bariatrics/Thoracic
Fairview General Surgery/Trauma
Fairview Vascular Surgery
Hillcrest General Surgery
HPB/Surgical Oncology
Liver Transplant
MIS/Hernia/General Surgery
Pediatric Surgery
Vascular Surgery

PGY-2 (4 weeks per rotation)

Acute Care Surgery
Acute Care Surgery Night Float
Bariatrics/Surgical Endoscopy
Breast Surgery
Fairview Pediatric/Thoracic/Breast
Fairview ICU
Fairview General Surgery/Trauma
Fairview Vascular
Hillcrest General Surgery
HPB/Surgical Oncology
Intestinal Transplant
Main Campus CVICU or SICU
Metro Trauma/ICU
MIS/Hernia/General Surgery
Plastic Surgery

PGY-3 (5 weeks per rotation)

Acute Care Surgery 
Bariatric Surgery*
Breast Surgery
Elective
Fairview Colorectal
Fairview General Surgery/Bariatric/Trauma
Hillcrest General Surgery
Pediatric Surgery*
Liver Transplant*
Bariatrics/Surgical Endoscopy*

PGY-4 (5 weeks per rotation)

Acute Care Surgery Night Float*
MIS/Hernia/General Surgery*
Elective
Endocrine Surgery*
Fairview Colorectal
Fairview General Surgery/Bariatric/Trauma
HPB/Surgical Oncology
Metro Trauma*
Thoracic Surgery
Vascular Surgery*

PGY-5 (5 weeks per rotation)

Acting Colorectal Fellow (x2)*
Acute Care Surgery*
Elective
Fairview General Surgery/Bariatric/Trauma*
Fairview Vascular*
Hillcrest General Surgery*
Hillcrest HPB/Colorectal*
HPB/Surgical Oncology*
MIS/Hernia/General Surgery*

*Chief

Surgical Teams

Main Campus

Regional Hospital Teams

Research

Resident Research

A successful career in surgery, both in an academic and a community setting, requires an understanding of research and the ability to critically appraise medical literature. All residents in our program participate in a comprehensive academic curriculum with year-round lectures, individualized mentorship and extensive resources to encourage resident participation in research.

Those who are interested may arrange for additional years of professional development time during residency, typically after the second clinical year. Departmental and other funding sources are available. This time can be used to obtain an advanced degree, participate in basic science research, or become involved in one of many prospective clinical studies conducted at Cleveland Clinic.

Residents are encouraged to submit their work to local, regional, national and international meetings. Release from clinical duties and travel support is offered by the department in accordance with the travel guidelines.

Research Opportunities

Research is one of the main pillars of Cleveland Clinic, as is reflected by the vast resources offered by the institution to continuously innovate and improve patient care. Fueled by the unique case volume and complexity, the surgical divisions and departments are pioneers in clinical and basic science research with multiple ongoing prospective trials and large historical databases readily available. In practically every surgical field, including cardiac, colorectal, bariatric/MIS, endocrine, plastic, vascular and hernia surgery, there are unique opportunities for residents interested in academics to work within established groups and excel. In addition, those interested in laboratory research benefit from access to the more than 200 principal investigators at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute.

Current Residents

PGY-1

Karolis Bauza, BM BCh, DPhil

• Medical School: University of Oxford
• Hometown: Kretinga, Lithuania
• Career interest: Abdominal organ transplantation
• Bio: Born and reared in Lithuania, I attended medical school in England, where a passion for surgery developed. Eventually, my curiosity and the desire to train and work in the US led me to general surgery program at Cleveland Clinic. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my wife and our son. Time permitting, I also enjoy sports, Netflix and reading scientific papers.

Tim Beck, MD, PhD

• Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
• Hometown: Germany
• Career interest: Surgical Oncology
• Bio: Tim moved from Germany (town: Bielefeld) to New Jersey at age 13 and has since also lived in New York City, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Tim enjoys reading, football (the European kind), traveling, and science (particularly cellular and molecular cancer biology and cancer genetics). He recently discovered that he also enjoys playing golf (currently >>> over par).

Alexandra Ferre, MD

• Medical School: Universidad Central De Venezuela
• Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
• Career interest: Trauma Surgery
• Bio: Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Alex came to the United States after medical school to finish her training and be close to family. She lived in Miami, Florida before coming to Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys spending time at the beach, training for triathlons, and traveling

Maysoon Gamaleldin, MD

• Medical School: Dubai Medical College
• Hometown: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Career interest: Colorectal Surgery
• Bio: Born in Egypt, raised in Dubai, I finished my general surgery training in AbuDhabi and came here to pursue a career in colorectal surgery. I am also a proud makeup-aholic and love to spend time spoiling my kitty, Boloz!

Amy Han, MD

• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Cleveland, OH
• Career interest: Pediatric Surgery, Endocrine Surgery, Trauma/Critical Care
• Bio: Amy was born in Korea, but has been a Clevelander for more than half her life. She enjoys running, exploring new cuisine, baking, drinking coffee, and catching up with friends. She’s excited to explore the international surgical education opportunities during residency!

Vivek Karun, MD

• Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
• Hometown: Houston, TX
• Career interest: Device Innovation, Global Surgery
• Bio: Born in India and raised in Houston for most of my life, I grew up loving the piano and all things Houston sports. I'm an adventurer at heart, so I enjoy traveling, discovering new places, and most other outdoor activities. But more than anything, I value my time with family and friends.

Katherine Montelione, MD

• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Highland Park, NJ
• Career interest: Undecided
• Bio: Katie grew up in a small town in New Jersey and attended Columbia University, where she majored in Biochemistry. Prior to medical school she pursued research in Immunology at the National Institutes of Health and Weill Cornell Medicine, earning a Masters in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis. She traded the big city life to attend medical school in Cleveland and subsequently fell in love with the food and people in this Rust Belt city! She loves cooking, trying new restaurants, skiing, and travel.

Nitin Sajankila, MD

• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Dayton, NJ
• Career interest: Pediatric Surgery
• Bio: Hailing from the suburbs of NJ, I am interested in quality improvement, healthcare equality, emerging technologies, and global health. Outside of medicine, I am an amateur outdoorsmen, hoping to hike every national park; an instrumentalist with a great love for the sitar; and an avid cook. Last but not least, I am a proud first-generation American.

Thomas Shin, MD, PhD

• Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Boston, MA
• Career interest: Thoracic Surgery, Surgical Oncology
• Bio: After living in over 10 cities across East Asia and the United States, Tom was most recently in Boston where he completed his medical degree before arriving at Cleveland for surgical residency. He also completed his PhD in Molecular and Translational Medicine, studying the role of inflammation in cancer microenvironments. When not in the hospital, Tom can be found scoping out new running trails or cooking feasts and delicious treats for his family of three.

Avia Wilkerson, MD

• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Dallas, Texas
• Career interest: Surgical Oncology, Elimination of Health Disparities
• Bio: I grew up wanting to be a professional modern dancer until my sights turned toward a career in surgery. You may find me trying and cooking new foods or at a local Vinyasa yoga studio.

PGY-2

Jordan Apfeld, MD

• Medical School: Stanford University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Signal Mountain, TN
• Career interest: Pediatric Surgery
• Bio: Jordan has roots in the midwest, was raised in the South, brainwashed in the Northeast, is newly engaged out West, and Cleveland proud. His hobbies include starting new hobbies, running, disc golf, and all things music.

Pedram Aram, MD

• Medical School: Islamic Azad University Medical Branch of Tehran
• Hometown: Tehran, Iran
• Career interest: Hepato-biliary and Transplant surgery
• Bio: I did a four year General Surgery residency back home, but I knew my desire for knowledge required training in the US. This led me to take a research fellowship for two years, followed by a two -year Clinical Transplant fellowship. Now I feel incredibly fortunate to be a part of this outstanding training program.

Kevin Brown, MD

• Medical School: American University of Antigua
• Hometown: Plainsboro, NJ
• Career interest: General Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatrics
• Bio: Originally from Jersey, but lived in Maryland/DC the past decade. Love to camp, run, endurance cycle, play the piano, and eat pizza.

Sarah Choi, MD

• Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Los Angeles, California
• Bio: Adventurous at heart, Sarah spends her time exploring the various cities she's lived in (including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Detroit, Cleveland) and has traveled to over 15 countries. When indoors, however, she enjoys playing the piano, baking, and completing her DIY projects.

Reece DeHaan, MD

• Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
• Hometown: Kenosha, WI
• Career interest: Colorectal or Minimally Invasive surgery
• Bio: Reece has spent the majority of his life living in Wisconsin and Illinois but is excited for the opportunity to explore northeast Ohio. In his free time, he enjoys trying new restaurants as well as playing and watching sports (especially the Packers and Brewers).

Michael Klingler, MD

• Medical School: Michigan State University
• Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Career interest: Hepatobiliary surgery
• Bio: Mike grew up in a family of four in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He lived in California and Michigan before moving to Ohio, and in his free time he enjoys snowboarding, cycling, and watching the Pittsburgh Penguins win Stanley Cups.

Breanna Perlmutter, MD

• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine
• Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
• Career interest: Trauma Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, advancing surgical care in developing countries.
• Bio: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Breanna loves spending her free time outdoors, whether at the beach or hiking in the mountains. She is also an avid cook and loves searching for great food. When time allows, she also greatly enjoys traveling abroad.

Jesse M. P. Rappaport, MD

• Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Chester, NJ
• Career interest: General Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Global Surgery
• Bio: I grew up in small town NJ with two older siblings. I received my undergraduate education in Fine Arts (drawing, painting, sculpting) and try to indulge my artistic side whenever possible.

Caleb Seavey, MD

• Medical School: George Washington University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Washington, DC
• Career interest: Surgical Oncology
• Bio: Caleb is the youngest child of an English Professor and a Documentary Filmmaker. In his spare time, his hobbies include woodworking and he is an avid jazz enthusiast.

Shashank Sharma, MD

• Medical School: Medical College of Virginia
• Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
• Career interest: Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery; Global Surgery; Medical device development
• Bio: Born in India and raised in Virginia, Shashank built and developed an orphanage in Kenya prior to attending medical school. His hobbies include cooking, finance, politics, playing tennis, travelling, going to art museums, and gardening.

PGY-3

Dominykas Burneikis, MD

• Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Hometown: Denver, CO
• Career interest: General / Colorectal Surgery
• Bio: Dom was born in Vilnius, Lithuania before relocating to Colorado with his family at the age of 10. He moved to Baltimore to complete his undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Public Health. Dom returned to University of Colorado School of Medicine where he met his wife, Talia, prior to a successful couples match in Cleveland.

Talia Burneikis, MD

• Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Hometown: Denver, CO
• Career interest: General surgery, research in quality improvement, surgical education
• Bio: She spends her free time baking, running with her dog, and taking in the outdoors. She loves skiing and snowshoeing in Colorado as well as biking, hiking and foraging for mushrooms with her husband.

Mohammed Elshamy

• Medical School: Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine (Egypt)
• Hometown: Port Said, Egypt
• Career interest: Surgical Oncology
• Bio: Mohammed was born in New Jersey, and moved to Egypt as a child, where he grew up in Port Said on the coast of the Mediterranean before moving to Cairo for medical school. After graduating, he returned to the United States for a research fellowship in Hepatobiliary Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. When not at work, he enjoys soccer, cooking, and spending time with his wife and baby daughter.

Monica Isabella, MD

• Medical School: Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
• Hometown: Cleveland, OH
• Research line: Vascular Surgery Research, Cleveland Clinic

Sami Judeeba, MD

• Medical School: King Abdul Aziz University (Saudi Arabia)
• Hometown: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Career interest: My commitment is to improve myself to a high level of clinical, academic, and surgical proficiency.
• Bio: After medical school, I had the chance to conduct translational research in the field of gastroenterology, with a focus on colonic disease in animal and human specimens. Now, I have joined the Cleveland Clinic with the goal of becoming a truly excellent surgeon.

Olga Lavryk, MD

• Medical School: National O. O. Bohomolets Medical University (Kiev, Ukraine)
• Hometown: Ukraine
• Career interest: Abdominal and vascular surgery
• Bio: Originally from Ukraine, Olga previously conducted research at the Cleveland Clinic. Her interests include skiing, tennis, piano, and literature.

Salvador Navarrete, MD

• Medical School: Universidad Central de Venezuela Escuela Luis Razetti (Venezuela)
• Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
• Career interest: Minimally Invasive Surgery, Foregut surgery
• Bio: Sal previously trained in Venezuela “a long time ago”, where he met his wife. A father of two beautiful kids, Sal is a patient futbol fan and player.

Justin Philip, MD

• Medical School: Thomas Jefferson University
• Hometown: Montreal, QC, Canada
• Career interest: Minimally Invasive Surgery, Foregut Surgery, Wound Healing/Tissue Engineering.
• Bio: I enjoy watching and playing sports (especially hockey, soccer, snowboarding and running around Cleveland Hts). I also love to cook, hike and travel whenever I can. Mostly though I love watching episodes of Archer and The League.

Andrew Strong, MD

• Medical School: Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
• Hometown: Dallas, Texas
• Career interest: Flexible Endoscopy / Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery
• Bio: Andrew previously completed two years of clinical research work with the Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery/Surgical Endoscopy group at the Cleveland Clinic. When not at work, he might be found on a local hiking or running trail, sipping java or a brew at a local purveyor, or any of the summer street festivals.

Valery Vilchez, MD

• Medical School: Universidad del Zulia (Venezuela)
• Hometown: Maracaibo, Venezuela
• Career interest: Hepatobiliary and Transplant Surgery

PGY-4

Paul Adenuga, MD

• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona (born Nigeria)
• Career interest: Abdominal wall reconstruction, reconstructive and restorative surgery
• Bio: I have trained on and off over the past 5-years as an actor and in an alternate universe, I'll be a stage and screen actor, and I certainly see myself on some stage or screen in the not too distant future. In the meantime, I'm over the moon about the birth of my first boy!

Matthew Burstein, MD

• Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine
• Hometown: Coral Spring, Florida
• Career interest: Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Bio: When not in the hospital I spend my time building devices while my 14 year-old Labrador retriever gives me judgmental looks, questioning my poor use of warm weather.

Deepa Cherla, MD

• Medical School: UMDNJ - New Jersey Medical School
• Hometown: Basking Ridge, New Jersey
• Career interest: General Surgery
• Bio: My favorite TV shows are the Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. During an undergrad study abroad experience in Cape Town, South Africa, I taught biology at a nearby elementary school.

Maryna Chumakova, MD

• Medical School: The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
• Hometown: Orsha, Belarus
• Career interest: Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Bio: Born and raised in the small Eastern European country of Belarus, Maryna moved to the US at 16 to pursue her dreams of becoming a surgeon. She had a baby boy during the 2nd year of residency which has been the best part of her life. PS: I have a black belt in karate.

Jennifer Colvin, MD

• Medical School: Ohio State University College of Medicine
• Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
• Career interest: Plastics Surgery or Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Bio: I enjoy running and Crossfit. Other hobbies include Pinterest projects and DIY home projects. Of course, playing with my baby is my new favorite pastime.

Xiaoxi Feng, MD

• Medical School: Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
• Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
• Career interest: General Surgery
• Bio: Chelsea was born in Beijing, grew up around Cleveland, indoctrinated as a Duke Blue Devil. She returned to Cleveland Clinic for medical school and training. She loves General Surgery and is as of yet undecided about subspecialties. She enjoys trying new foods and recipes, currently attempting homemade kimchi.

Ian Glenn, MD

• Medical School: Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine
• Hometown: Dallas, Texas
• Career interest: Pediatric Surgery
• Bio: A Texas native who has been bouncing around the Midwest for the last decade, Ian did 2 years of pediatric surgery research. He loves exploring new coffee shops, traveling, and skiing. He also enjoys Longhorns football, beer, wine, and cooking.

Julia Muntean, MD

• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Meadville, PA
• Career interest: General Surgery
• Bio: From small town USA, hoping to work in another small town USA. Her hobbies include cooking and hanging out with her two cats, Dixie and Duncan. She would also like to travel the world someday and engage in international surgical exchange and education.

Lisa Park, MD

• Medical School: Albany Medical College
• Hometown: Fullerton, California
• Bio: Values family, friendship, and a good laugh more than anything. She enjoys finding new music, meeting new people, and basically everything related to food.

Kaitlin Ritter, MD

• Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
• Hometown: Whitehouse Station, New Jersey
• Career interest: Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
• Bio: Loves to bake, has an unhealthy obsession with sprinkles and Real Housewives of Anywhere.

PGY-5

Jessica Ardila Gatas, MD

• Medical School: Universidad Central de Venezuela Escuela Luis Razetti (Venezuela)
• Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
• Future plans: Minimally invasive and bariatric surgery fellowship at Stony Brook University
• Bio: With a veterinarian dad and an actress mom, I grew up between stables and theater stages, but it was the influence of my surgeon grandparents that made me fall in love with medicine. Love to spend time outside, especially under the sun and laying in the beach, love to discover new places and travel the world, but more than anything spending time with my family and friends.

Nicholas Bruns, MD

• Medical School: Rush Medical College
• Hometown: Carmel, IN
• Future plans: Pediatric surgery fellowship at Children’s Mercy Kansas City
• Bio: Beyond surgery, Nick's interests include traveling, hiking, endurance sports, the Indianapolis Colts, crossword puzzles, and spending time with his wife and pup.

Colin Gause, MD

• Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
• Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
• Future plans: Pediatric surgery fellowship at Oregon Health & Science University
• Bio: Born in Georgia, raised in Maryland. Enjoys video games, wine tasting, roller coasters, beaches, literature, Ravens football. Looking forward to starting Pediatric Surgery fellowship.

Charlotte Horne, MD

• Medical School: St. Matthew's University School of Medicine (Grand Cayman)
• Hometown: Edmonton Alberta Canada
• Future plans: Abdominal Wall Reconstruction and Complex Hernia fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Bio: I enjoy running and scuba diving

Georgios Karagkounis, MD

• Medical School: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine (Greece)
• Hometown: Athens, Greece
• Future plans: Surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Bio: Born and raised in Athens, Greece, George also lived and studied in the Netherlands and Spain before moving to the US. He loves traveling, soccer and outdoor grilling, though nowadays he spends most of his free time wrapped around his baby daughter's finger.

Marijan Koprivanac, MD

• Medical School: University of Zagreb (Croatia)
• Hometown: Zagreb, Croatia
• Future plans: Cardiac surgery fellowship at University of Pennsylvania

Maitham Moslim, MD

• Medical School: University of Damascus (Syria)
• Hometown: Karbala, Iraq
• Future plans: Surgical oncology fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center
• Bio: Enjoys spending time with family and friends

Ahmed Nassar, MD

• Medical School: University of Alexandria (Egypt)
• Hometown: Alexandria, Egypt / Ames, IA
• Future plans: Abdominal transplant surgery fellowship at Emory University
• Bio: Born in Iowa while his dad was getting his PhD at Iowa State University, grew up in Iowa and Egypt. Interested in travelling, Trying to stay outdoors as much as possible. No specific hobbies but working on finding one!

Antonios Sideris, MD

• Medical School: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine (Greece)
• Hometown: Athens, Greece
• Future plans: Thoracic surgery fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
• Bio: The son of two orthodontists, Antonios grew up dreaming of becoming a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. He speaks four languages and loves to travel the world, discover new tastes, and explore art and classical music. He plays the guitar and loves skiing and spending time with his wife and adorable little daughter.

Voranaddha Vacharathit, MD

• Medical School: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
• Future plans: Bariatric and minimally invasive surgery fellowship at Geisinger Medical Center
• Bio: Daughter of a diplomat and a professor of French literature, Bim grew up in many different countries including Thailand, Laos, France, and Switzerland. Her hobbies include clay sculpture and cooking.

Research

Alicia Adams, MD

• Medical School: University of California, San Francisco
• Hometown: Roseville, California
• Career interest: Undecided
• Research interest and institution: Colorectal surgery - Cleveland Clinic
• Bio: Alicia is a born-and-raised California girl who fell in love with the Cleveland Clinic at first sight. She currently resides in the Downtown/Playhouse Square area and loves all the amenities it has to offer. Outside of work she loves to eat, drink, and be merry.

Bess Connors, MD

• Medical School: University of Michigan
• Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Career interest: Undecided
• Research interest and institution: Surgical operations - Cleveland Clinic
• Bio: Bess is interested in process improvement and is still exploring the surgical subspecialties. She enjoys living in Tremont and exploring the arts and culture of Cleveland. She is happiest singing or enjoying a Lake Michigan beach with family.

Aldo Fafaj, MD

• Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
• Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
• Career interest: Undecided
• Research interest and institution: Abdominal wall hernias and reconstruction - Comprehensive Hernia Center, Cleveland Clinic
• Bio: I grew up in Tirana, Albania and came to US a junior in high school. My hobbies include photography and painting.

Alexander Gibbons, MD

• Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
• Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
• Career interest: Pediatric Surgery
• Research interest and institution: Pediatric Surgery – Akron Children’s Hospital
• Bio: Alex is a Baltimore native who came to Cleveland for medical school and liked it enough to stick around. He is the oldest of five children, and recently had one of his own: a daughter named Penelope. He enjoys reading, trivia, board games, video games, and running, but his favorite activity is spending time with his wife Erin and their baby daughter.

Joshua Landreneau, MD

• Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
• Career interest: Surgical Endoscopy / Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Research interest and institution: Minimally Invasive and Surgical Endoscopy Clinical Research - Cleveland Clinic

Robert Naples, DO

• Medical School: Ohio University
• Hometown: Hamden, Connecticut
• Career interest: Endocrine Surgery
• Research interest and institution: Surgical Education – Cleveland Clinic
• Bio: Rob, a triplet, and former collegiate football player, is a sports enthusiast, particularly football and basketball. His hobbies include cooking with his wife, hiking with their dog, and reading.

Danny Orabi, MD

• Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine
• Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
• Career interest: Hepatobiliary, Transplant
• Research interest and institution:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Cancer stem cells; Immunomodulation in HCC; Metabolomics; Microsurgery – Lerner Research Institute
• Bio: Like to have fun and relax with family and friends. Interests include soccer, international law, and politics.

Andrew Tang, MD

• Medical School: Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine
• Hometown: Plano, Texas
• Career interest: Thoracic Surgery
• Research interest and institution:Thoracic Surgery - Cleveland Clinic
• Bio: Born in Texas, I will take brisket and beer over steak any day. I enjoy spending time with my coresidents and traveling with my wife, who is a peds resident. Also I like to eat, a lot.

Samuel Zolin, MD

• Medical School: University of Pittsburgh
• Hometown: York, Pennsylvania
• Career interest: Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
• Research interest and institution: Quality improvement and trauma outcomes – Cleveland Clinic/MetroHealth
• Bio: I enjoy grilling/barbecuing, board games, outdoor activities, and spending time with my wife and our two cats.

Preliminary Residents

We are approved for 9 PGY-1 non-designated preliminary residents and 4 PGY-2 non-designated preliminary residents. We have a diverse group of preliminary residents including both US graduates and International Medical Graduates. Most of our non-designated preliminary residents continue onwards to complete an ACGME accredited program on a variety of specialties, including: General Surgery, Anesthesiology, Radiology, PM&R, etc.

PGY-1

• Victoria Arendt - Stanford University School of Medicine
• Ahmed Hassan - Assiut University Faculty of Medicine (Egypt)
• Song Hu - Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (China)
• Paul Karam - Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (in Lebanon)
• Mujtaba Mubashir - Aga Khan Medical College (Pakistan)
• Camila Ortega - University of Azuay School of Medicine (Ecuador)
• Charlampos Siotos - University of Athens (Greece)
• Muhammad Usman - Shifa College Of Medicine (Pakistan)
• Junjie Wang - Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China)

PGY-2

• Amanjit Gill - Saba University (Netherland)
• Nadeem Haddad - University Of Jordan (Jordan)
• Vishal Kumar - Dow Medical College (Pakistan)
• Yaning Zhang - Shantou University Medical College (China)

Alumni

Staff Surgeons

Residency Program Leadership

• R. Matthew Walsh, MD, Chair, Department of General Surgery
• Jeremy Lipman, MD, Program Director, General Surgery Residency
• Tony Capizzani, MD, Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency
• Ajita Prabhu, MD, Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency
• John Rodriguez, MD, Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency
• Steven Rosenblatt, MD, Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency; Medical Student Education Director, Surgery Clerkship
• Joseph Trunzo, MD, Site Director, Fairview Hospital, General Surgery Residency
• Kalman Bencsath, MD, Site Director, Hillcrest Hospital, General Surgery Residency

Abdominal Wall Reconstruction and General Surgery

• Sharon Grundfest-Broniatowski, MD
• David Krpata, MD
• Clayton Petro, MD
• Ajita Prabhu, MD
• Michael Rosen, MD
• Steven Rosenblatt, MD

Breast Surgery

Main Campus

• Stephen Grobmyer, MD, Chair, Department of Breast Surgery
• Zahraa AlHilli, MD
• Alicia Fanning, MD
• Diane Radford, MD
• Robyn Stewart, MD
• Stephanie Valente, DO

Fairview Hospital

• Debra Pratt, MD

Colorectal Surgery

Main Campus

• Scott Steele, MD, Chair, Department of Colorectal Surgery
• James Church, MD
• Thomas Garofalo, MD
• I. Emre Gorgun, MD
• Stefan Holubar, MD
• Emina Huang, MD
• Tracy Hull, MD
• Matthew Kalady, MD
• Hermann Kessler, MD, PhD
• Ian Lavery, MD
• Jeremy Lipman, MD
• Sherief Shawki, MD
• Michael A. Valente, DO
• James Wu, MD
• Massarat Zutshi, MD

Fairview Hospital

• Bradley Champagne, MD
• David Rosen, MD
• Joseph Trunzo, MD
• Michael Valente, MD

Hillcrest Hospital

• Thomas Garofalo, MD
• Eric Johnson, MD

Endocrine Surgery

• Allan Siperstein, MD, Chair, Department of Endocrine Surgery
• Eren Berber, MD
• Judy Jin, MD
• Vikram Krishnamurthy, MD
• Joyce Shin, MD

Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery and Surgical Oncology

Main Campus

• R. Matthew Walsh, MD, Chair, Department of General Surgery
• Stephen Grobmyer, MD, Section Head, Surgical Oncology
• Kevin El-Hayek, MD
• Gareth Morris-Stiff, MD
• Robert Simon, MD

Fairview Hospital

• Toms Augustin, MD

Hillcrest Hospital

• Christopher Siegel, MD

Liver and Multivisceral Transplant Surgery

• Kareem Abu-Elmagd, MD, PhD, Director, Intestinal Transplant Program
• Charles Miller, MD, Director, Liver Transplant Program
• Federico Aucejo, MD
• Teresa Diago-Uso, MD
• Bijan Eghtesad, MD
• Masato Fujiki, MD
• Koji Hashimoto, MD, PhD
• Cristiano Quintini, MD

Metabolic and Minimally Invasive Surgery

Main Campus

• Ali Aminian, MD
• Kevin El-Hayek, MD
• Jeffrey Ponsky, MD
• John Rodriguez, MD

Fairview Hospital

• Toms Augustin, MD

Hillcrest Hospital

• Walter Cha, MD
• Kalman Bencsath, MD

Minimally Invasive and General Surgery

Main Campus

• Sharon Grundfest-Broniatowski, MD
• Steven Rosenblatt, MD

Fairview Hospital

• Toms Augustin, MD
• Diya Alaedeen, MD
• Timothy Barnett, MD
• Cathleen Khandelwal, MD
• Andrew Smith, MD

Hillcrest Hospital

• Kalman Bencsath, MD
• Walter Cha, MD
• James Malgieri, MD
• William O’Brien, MD

Surgical Critical Care

• Sofya Asfaw, MD
• Tony Capizzani, MD
• Molly Flannagan, MD
• Rachael Sullivan, MD
• Michael Taylor, MD

Surgical Endoscopy

Main Campus

• Jeffrey Ponsky, MD Director, Surgical Endoscopy
• Matthew Allemang, MD
• Kevin El-Hayek, MD
• John Rodriguez, MD
• R. Matthew Walsh, MD

Fairview Hospital

• Diya Alaedeen, MD

Pediatric Surgery

• David Magnuson, MD, Chair, Department of Pediatric Surgery
• Darrell Cass, MD, Director, Fetal Surgery
• Anthony DeRoss, MD
• John DiFiore, MD

Thoracic Surgery

Main Campus

• Sudish Murthy, MD, PhD, Section Head, General Thoracic Surgery
• Siva Raja, MD, PhD
• Usman Ahmad, MD
• Alejandro Bribriesco, MD
• Daniel Raymond, MD

Fairview Hospital

• R. Thomas Temes, MD

Vascular Surgery

Main Campus

• Sean Lyden, MD, Chair, Department of Vascular Surgery
• Francis Caputo, MD
• Behzad Farivar, MD
• Linda Graham, MD
• David Hardy, MD
• Lee Kirksey, MD
• Federico Parodi, MD
• Christopher Smolock, MD

Fairview Hospital

• Eduardo Corso, MD
• Basem Droubi, MD
• Daniel McLaughlin, MD

Locations

Physicians at all locations are part of the Cleveland Clinic General Surgery, Vascular Surgery, or Colorectal Surgery Departments except for the MetroHealth Medical Center where the Level I trauma rotations are done.

Cleveland Clinic Main Campus

• Founded in 1921 by George Crile Sr., a general and endocrine surgeon; Frank Bunts, a neurosurgeon; William Lower, an urologist; and John Phillips, an internist.
• 44 buildings, over 85 operating rooms, more than 1,400 beds.
• Quaternary care center with an international referral base.
• 202,190 Surgical Cases in 2013.

• Program site director: Jeremy Lipman, MD.

Fairview Hospital

• Fairview Hospital is a busy community hospital and Level 2 Trauma Center on Cleveland’s west side. General Surgery Residents operate on all General, Colorectal, Breast, Endovascular, and Vascular Surgery cases and run the SICU and Trauma team.
• 488 beds.
• $83 million dollar expansion of emergency department and ICU in 2013.

• Site director: Joseph Trunzo, MD.

Hillcrest Hospital

• Hillcrest Hospital is a busy community hospital and Level 2 Trauma Center on Cleveland’s east side.
• 496 beds.
• $163 million dollar expansion and renovation in 2010.

• Site director: Kalman Bencsath, MD.

Metro Health Medical Center

• MetroHealth Medical Center is an academic health system, the regional Level 1 Trauma and Burn Center, and the regional safety net hospital on Cleveland’s south side.
• MetroHealth Medical Center’s staff surgeons are all professors at Case Western Reserve University Medical School.
• The Trauma Service has two teams, one run by a Cleveland Clinic General Surgery PGY-4 resident and the other run by a University Hospitals Case Medical Center General Surgery PGY-4 resident. The Trauma ICU is run by one PGY-2 resident from the Cleveland Clinic and one PGY-2 from University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

Beachwood, Strongsville, Twinsburg Family Health and Surgery Centers

• Beachwood, Strongsville, Twinsburg Family Health and Surgery Centers are ambulatory surgery centers staffed by Cleveland Clinic main campus, Hillcrest and Fairview surgeons. Residents perform endoscopy and operate on General and Breast Surgery cases in a fast track surgery environment.

Applications & FAQs

Residency Applications

We are approved for 10 categorical residents per year for five clinical years. A varying number of our categorical residents take additional dedicated time for research or professional development. Additionally, we are approved for 9 PGY-1 non-designated preliminary residents and 4 PGY-2 non-designated preliminary residents.

We are looking for outstanding individuals to immerse in a high-volume surgical environment that offers high-quality, scientifically-advanced care in an economically savvy environment. We seek the most promising surgeons, as demonstrated by leadership abilities, academic productivity, knowledge base, and positive personal qualities among applicants from diverse backgrounds.

Cleveland Clinic has minimum requirements for resident application, all of which are required in the standard ERAS application. We have no secondary application form. Applications are reviewed and a selected group is offered on-site interviews.

NRMP program codes:

Categorical General Surgery 1968440C0
Non-Designated Preliminary Surgery 1968440P0

Interviews are held between October and January. Interview dinner is held the night before the interview to give a chance to the interviewees to talk to current residents and learn about the program. Interview day starts at 7 a.m. and are done after lunch.

Residents are Cleveland Clinic employees with standardized salaries and other benefits.

Visiting Resident Application

Thank you for your interest in rotating with the Department of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic.

All applications must be submitted by April 15 to assure placement in the coming academic year.

Please complete the following form to apply for a spot as a visiting resident:

• The Department of Surgery Application

Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate all requests. Final rotation dates will only be provided by our office. Please direct any questions to Janine Keough (keoughj@ccf.org).

Thank you for your interest - we look forward to working with you.

For additional GME information, please visit our Graduate Medical Information website.

FAQs

Where do the residents live?
Fortunately, Cleveland is very affordable on a resident’s salary. About half of the residents own a house or condo. Most live on the east side, in nearby neighborhoods such as Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Shaker Heights, or Beachwood. The downtown area is also popular for apartments living. Fewer residents live in the west side by Westlake.

Please visit the GME website for more information about living in Cleveland.

How is life outside of work in Cleveland?
The camaraderie among residents is encouraged by the program with different social activities from early in the year. The general surgery program prides itself in building a community, not just a group of co-workers. The intern welcome picnic, annual holiday party, and graduation are all events sponsored by the program, with all residents, staff, and their families welcome. The House Staff Association organizes several events throughout the year to promote well-being and camaraderie among residents of different specialties. Some events are also in association with the residents of other institutions. The most popular events include the Halloween Party, Holiday Party and St. Patrick’s Day Party.

What opportunities are at Cleveland Clinic for the resident's significant other?
Cleveland Clinic is the largest private employer in Northeast Ohio with over 39,000 employees. We have myriad training programs for physicians, biomedical researchers, and employment opportunities for physicians, researchers, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, allied health professionals, business professionals, information technology professionals, and other fields.

The House Staff Spouse Association is a social and support organization for the spouses and significant others of residents.

Contact

General Surgery Residency

Janine Keough
Administrator
216.444.2009
Fax: 216.445.7653
keoughj@ccf.org

Lisa Paciorek Donkin
Residency Coordinator
216.444.1754
paciorl@ccf.org

Jennifer Mocsiran
Residency Coordinator
Medical Student Surgical Education Coordinator
216.636.9297
mocsirj@ccf.org

Graduate Medical Education

Main Office
216.444.5690
1.800.323.9259
Fax: 216.444.6112

Cleveland Clinic Operator

216.444.2200