General Surgery Residency Program

Welcome

Our vision

To provide best in class patient experiences, superior clinical outcomes and excellence in research and education.

Since 1921, Cleveland Clinic has provided unsurpassed patient care, enhanced by research and education. Cleveland Clinic Florida is fully committed to the ambitious goals of our organization. As a student of medicine at a top medical school, you have many exciting training opportunities to explore. We encourage you to contact us and learn more about our outstanding program if you are considering a career in general surgery.

We consider your education to be a special opportunity and we ensure our leaders and faculty take this partnership seriously. As a nationally ranked center for gastroenterology and GI surgery, patients from around the world come to us for health and hope. Our guiding principle is “patients first” and our motto is to “act as a unit.” We promote innovation, honor compassion, and respect the contribution of every individual for the health of our patients and the success of the organization. 

The research grants and contracts of Cleveland Clinic's Digestive Disease Institute, in collaboration with the Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic's main campus, provide unique opportunities for our residents to collaborate with our world class physicians and researchers and to present their findings at regional and national conferences. Our research projects aim to discover new disease mechanisms, diagnostic techniques and improve the quality & safety of care of the surgical treatment options for our patients.

We want to take this opportunity to express our sincere wishes for your future success, and are confident that our program will provide an ideal environment to help foster and mentor you. With the broad, passionate interests of our faculty and wide-ranging basic science, educational and clinical research opportunities, our program is uniquely suited to prepare physicians for careers as cutting edge clinicians, clinical investigators, and excellent surgeons. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested in learning more and please include us in your future considerations.

Thank you and we look forward to receiving your application.

Raul J. Rosenthal, MD Program Director	Mark Grove, MD Associate Program Director
Emanuele Lo Menzo, MD Associate Program Director	Mayank Roy, MD Associate Program Director

Program Overview

Cleveland Clinic Florida is an acute care academic medical and surgical center serving the community for over 25 years. The clinic is a multispecialty group with tertiary care referrals and leading experience in colorectal, transplant, foregut/bariatric-metabolic, endocrine, hepatopancreaticobiliary, and oncologic surgeries. For more than 15 years, the clinic has continued its tradition in postgraduate surgical education in fellowships in MIS/Bariatric and Colorectal Surgery. Additionally, faculty members are internationally recognized for their contributions to the sciences both clinically and academically. Cleveland Clinic Florida’s foundation for its standards of excellence fosters an environment that maximizes coordination, improves patient access to multiple disciplines, allows experts to act as a team and provides optimal treatment for patients

The Cleveland Clinic Florida General Surgery Residency Program, accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), accepts applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). There are six positions offered; three preliminary PGY1 and three categorical PGY1 in our 5 year program. Please visit FREIDA Online, the AMA Residency database, for current applicant requirements and detailed program information.

Educational conferences

There are a wide variety of regular conferences and lectures scheduled. These include but are not limited to Grand Rounds, Nodal Points Reviews, Journal Club, Core Curriculum sessions, and our weekly M&M Conference. The residents are responsible for preparing and presenting some of these lectures or conferences. In addition, residents are also responsible for completing regular on-line and web-based learning modules to complement their medical knowledge and to help them acquire the skills and attitudes necessary to practice without direct supervision.

Rotations

Residents rotating will be exposed in depth to the following areas of surgery:

• Gastrointestinal surgery.
• Minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery.
• Abdominal surgery.
• Alimentary tract and digestive system surgery.
• Liver, biliary tract and pancreatic surgery.
• General thoracic surgery
• General vascular and venous access surgery.
• Skin and soft tissue surgery.
• Oncologic surgery.
• Ambulatory surgery and outpatient surgery.
• Pediatric surgery.
• Breast surgery.
• Trauma surgery.

Throughout training, residents at all PGY levels of training will participate in supervised patient care with progressive responsibility allocated on the basis of demonstrated resident proficiency.  Residents will participate in complete patient care in offices or clinic and the in-patient setting.

Application

The General Surgery Residency Program participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). You must complete all components of the ERAS Application in order for your application to be considered complete and to be reviewed by the Selection Committee. Our application requirements are the same as the standard ERAS application:

• Complete application.
• CV.
• Personal statement.
• Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE).
• Medical school transcript.
• USMLE Step I Transcript and Score > 240 is suggested with one (1) attempt/ COMLEX  Level 1 equivalent.
• USMLE Step 2 Transcript and Score >240 is suggested with one (1) attempt / COMLEX Level 2 equivalent.
• Three letters of recommendation.

International Medical Graduates

The following requirements are for International Medical Graduates interested in the General Surgery Residency Program:

• U.S. clinical experience is strongly preferred.
• ECFMG certification at the time of application is required. Please review the ECFMG requirements for additional information.
• Must have graduated medical school within the last 5 years. Anything greater than 5 years does not meet the minimum requirements.
• Visa information – We sponsor J-1 and H-1B visas.

Benefits

Salary

Please refer to the table below for salary rates, effective July 1, 2023:

Paid Time Away: Vacation, Maternity, & Paternity

• Vacation: 3 weeks (15 working days) provided at the beginning of each academic year.
• Maternity: 6 weeks paid leave for natural childbirth or adoption; 8 weeks for cesarean section. Additional time off unpaid up to a maximum of 12 weeks under the Family Medical Leave Act.
• Paternity: 2 week paid leave. Additional time off unpaid up to a maximum of 12 weeks under the Family Medical Leave Act.

Insurance

• Healthcare: Cleveland Clinic Florida covers 50% of annual Healthcare Plans for Clinical Trainees and their families effective on the first day of training with no waiting period.
• Dental and Vision Care: Cleveland Clinic Florida covers 100% of annual Dental and Vision Care Plans for Clinical Trainees.
• Maternity Care: 100% coverage is provided through the health care plan that you select within the plans guidelines.
• Pharmaceuticals: As outlined by the Cleveland Clinic Florida Health Plan.
• Malpractice: Paid by the Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation/Cleveland Clinic Florida. Limited to activities within the training program.
• Life Insurance: $25,000 term group policy.

Travel Privileges and Other Education Activities

Senior and Chief residents in ACGME programs that meet eligibly criteria as outlined in the Graduate Physicians Manual may be approved to attend academic meetings for the purpose of presenting or engaging in leadership roles within national societies for up to 5 days per academic year with a maximum reimbursement of $1,200 per academic year.

Additional Benefits

• Book Allowance: A $250 educational allowance per year is available to all clinical residents/fellows. Primary use is for textbooks.
• On-call Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner: Paid by Cleveland Clinic Florida when on in-house 24 hour call.
• Loupes: $500 allowance for surgical loupes for PGY2+ residents.
• Membership: ACS membership paid for by the program.
• Cell phones: Apple iPhone provided to all residents.
• Uniforms: Supplied by Cleveland Clinic Florida.

Our Team

Raul Rosenthal, MD

Regional Director

Mark Grove, MD

Department Chair

Emanuele Lo Menzo, MD

Staff

Conrad Simpfendorfer, MD

Staff

Steven Wexner, MD

Department Chair

Cassann Blake, MD

Department Chair

Giovanna da Silva, MD

Staff

David Maron, MD

Staff

Edward Noguera, MD

Staff

Mayank Roy, MD

Surgical Director, Pancreas Center and Staff

Dana Sands, MD

Staff

Cedric Sheffield, MD

Staff

Samuel Szomstein, MD

Staff

Margaret E.G. Thompson, MD

Staff

Eric Weiss, MD

Vice Chair

Program Coordinator

Richard Nagle
2950 Cleveland Clinic Blvd.
Weston, Florida 33331
Phone: 954.659.5473
Email: nagler@ccf.org

Current Residents

Class of 2023

• Felice de Stefano, MD - Chief Resident
  Universidad de Carabobo
• Mathew Doble - Chief Resident
  Ross University School of Medicine
• Bora Kahramangil, MD - Chief Resident
  Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine

Class of 2024

• Mhamad Faour, MD - Resident
  University of Aleppo
• David Gutierrez, MD - Resident
  Universidad Catolica de Honduras
• Nikita Zadneulitca, MD - Resident
  Pacific State University

Class of 2025

• Joel Frieder - Resident
  Universidad Central de Venezuela Escuela de Medicina - Luis Razetti,
• Caitlin Li - Resident
  University of South Carolina
• Felipe Okida, MD - Resident
  Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Class of 2026

• Nathan John, MD - Resident
  Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
• George Tadros, MD - Resident
  Suez Canal University
• Roberto Valera, MD - Resident
  University Central de Venezuela

Class of 2027

• Seyma Avci, MD - Intern
  Hacettepe University
• Ilana Grosman, MD - Intern
  Federal Unicversidade Fluminense
• Jingyuan Zhang, MD - Intern
  Boston University School of Medicine

Alumni

Listing

Research

Below are selected research presentations from our current residents with PubMed ID numbers:

• No Difference Between Low- And Regular-dose Aspirin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis After THA. PubMed ID 30624322
• Arthroscopic Irrigation and Debridement Is Associated With Favourable Short-Term Outcomes vs. Open Management: An ACS-NSQIP Database Analysis. PubMed ID 30604252
• Outcomes of Reoperative Surgery in Severely Obese Patients After Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Single-Institution Experience. PubMed ID 32507733
• Reduction of Invasive Interventions in Severely Obese With Osteoarthritis After Bariatric Surgery. PubMed ID 31559579
• Can Surgical Weight Loss Reduce the Risk of Developing Coronary Heart Disease? PubMed ID 32576514
• Metabolic Surgery Reduces the Risk of Progression From Chronic Kidney Disease to Kidney Failure. PubMed ID 31290766
• Long-Term and Oncologic Outcomes of Robotic Versus Laparoscopic Liver Resection for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Multicenter, Propensity Score Matching Analysis. PubMed ID 31748885
• Minimally Invasive Resection of Posterosuperior Liver Tumors in the Supine Position Using Intra-Abdominal Trocars. PubMed ID 30963261
• The Cushing Reflex and the Vasopressin-Mediated Hemodynamic Response to Increased Intracranial Pressure During Acute Elevations in Intraabdominal Pressure. PubMed ID 31813477

Physician Wellness

We recognize that residency is one of the top groups of medical professionals most impacted by physician burnout. Accordingly, a variety of resources are available to our residents for the purpose of promoting resident wellness and combating burnout. These include:

• Psychological support and counseling at no charge available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for you and your immediate family members.
• Resident Advisors and Mentors who serve as sources of guidance and mentoring throughout your training and to help guide you in your career.
• Orientation reception designed to promote a collegial environment where the new residents interact with each other, already established residents, and staff to welcome them to our institution.
• Yearly Resident Appreciation Week offering activities and events that highlight our appreciation and recognition for their contribution not only to our institution, but also to those we serve.
• Doctor’s Day events hosted by the Education Center for all programs in Cleveland Clinic to attend and participate.
• Periodic staff/resident luncheon events designed to promote interaction in a fun and non-stressful environment.
• Applicant Dinner events during the fall/winter in local upscale restaurants where not only the residents, but also the staff interact with our applicants to showcase the close working relationship our staff enjoys with our residents
• Periodic Program Director meetings with the residents designed in part for residents to vent any frustrations or concerns they may have with the program or institution.
• Lectures on resident well-being and fatigue mitigation strategies as part of our Academic Lecture Series.
• Junior and Senior Resident of the Year Awards voted on by the staff and your co-residents and presented at graduation ceremonies to recognize, among other things, those residents who have overcome significant personal, cultural, and professional obstacles in order to excel.
• Evenings out (dinners and other get-togethers) with your co-residents and spouses.
• The Cleveland Clinic Learning Center offers residents educational modules on Safety, Communication, Fatigue Mitigation, Chemical Dependency, Disruptive Behavior, Sexual Misconduct, Diversity and Inclusion, our Culture of Safety, Physician Impairment, Fire Prevention, Crime Prevention, Infection Prevention, Health Services, Radiation Safety, MRI Safety, Back Safety, Diversity and Inclusion, Fluoroscopy & Radiation Protection, MRI Safety, HIPAA, Patient Safety, Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Protection, TB Exposure Prevention, Professionalism and self-assessment.
• Annual Caregiver Experience survey to gain insight on how we can improve your training environment.
• Anonymous reporting of any issues or suggestions you might have.
• On-Line Resources listed on the Graduate Medical Education Program Manual are designed to promote wellness and prevent burnout.