Wellstar Health System strives to offer an exceptional, personalized environment that prepares the next generation of physicians to deliver the highest quality of healthcare to our community. Wellstar is keenly focused on and committed to ensuring continuity of training for all Wellstar residents, engaging in regular and ongoing bi-directional communication with learners about programmatic improvements and changes, and providing clinical learning environments that support the wellbeing, personal and professional development of all residents, faculty, and staff. To enhance the quality and sustainability of clinical services and the clinical learning environment, Wellstar is working with the ACGME to review opportunities to relocate surgery services and training to the system’s flagship teaching hospital which will provide residents with enhanced educational experiences and contemporary facilities with state-of-the-art surgical suites and equipment.
The first year experience includes 2 months of Plastic Surgery, 2 months of Vascular Surgery, 2 months of Trauma, 4 months of General Surgery and 2 months of Night Float, all at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center.
During PGY-2 residents complete 1 month of Transplant Training (Piedmont Hospital), 3 months of General Surgery (Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center), 4 months of Trauma (Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center), 2 months of General Surgery (Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center) and 2 months of Night Float.
Year 3 (PGY-3) requires the following rotations—2 months of Pediatric Surgery (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Hospital), 2 months of Surgical Oncology (Piedmont Atlanta), 4 months of General Surgery (Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center) and 4 months of Vascular Surgery (Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center).
During PGY-4 surgery residents devote 2 months to General Surgery (Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center), 4 months to Trauma (Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center), 2 months to Vascular Surgery/Colorectal Surgery (Piedmont Fayette Medical Center), 2 months of Hepatobiliary Surgery (Piedmont Atlanta Hospital) and 2 months of Night Float.
Chief (PGY-5) year rotations include 3 months of Vascular Surgery/Colorectal Surgery (Piedmont Fayette Medical Center), 2 months of General Surgery (Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center), 3 months of Hepatobiliary Surgery (Piedmont Hospital), 1 month of Thoracic Surgery (Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center), 1 month of Breast Surgery (Wellstar Cobb Hospital) and 3 months of Night Float.
Wellstar offers qualified third and fourth-year medical students the opportunity to pursue a core or elective clerkship in General Surgery. The focus is on hands-on training in an exciting urban healthcare environment with diverse and often complex patient conditions.
The clerkship program is affiliated with the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and Mercer University School of Medicine. Students apply through their home medical school and are required to submit an application through the Alliance for Clinical Experience Matching and Placement Program (ACEMAPP). We also accept applications through the Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS) for the fourth-year rotations.
Students provide their own housing during the clerkship, often staying with friends or relatives in the Atlanta area or in nearby housing. Participants give the program high marks and benefit greatly from the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to “real world” healthcare.
Requirements include:
Wellstar welcomes interested medical students to learn more and apply for a rotation. For more information please contact Ashley Thomas at [email protected] or by phone, (404) 265-4158.