Program Description
Program Mission
To provide a training environment that fosters teamwork and promotes the growth and development of vascular surgeons of the highest caliber committed to evidence-based medicine and the advancement of the art and science of vascular surgery.
Program Goals
- To train physicians to become competent, well rounded, independent practicing, board certified vascular surgeons who demonstrate both courage and humility, as well as confidence and compassion in the practice of medicine.
- To prepare our residents to become leaders, mentors and teachers who strive to improve patient care through quality improvement initiatives, by fostering multidisciplinary relations and providing education among those multidisciplinary members, our patients, their families and our medical students.
- To equip our residents with the skills and knowledge to establish successful practices in whatever environment they choose by providing world/class training in high-volume surgical academic, semi-rural and private practices with a broad scope of medical, open and endovascular techniques for managing vascular disease.
- To train surgeons who understand the importance of self-care and master the ability of balancing their personal and professional lives.
Training outcomes:
- At the completion of residency, trainees will have achieved competency in a wide breadth of vascular surgical operations including but not limited to: open AAA repair, EVAR, FEVAR, renal and mesenteric revascularization, open and endovascular lower extremity intervention, hemodialysis access, venous insufficiency, cerebrovascular disease and vascular trauma.
- Trainees will have the knowledge needed to obtain American Board of Surgery certification in Vascular Surgery.
- Trainees will obtain certification in Vascular Interpretation (RPVI) prior to graduation.
Residents are expected to perform the following duties:
- Present either original research, an interesting case, a quality improvement project or an educational vascular lecture during the Annual Vascular Medicine Symposium held in February.
- During the PGY-4 and PGY-5, residents:
- Are responsible for lecturing the vascular portion of the ABSITE to the General Surgery Residency Program.
- Are responsible for leading vascular related simulation labs for the General Surgery Residency Program.
- Must alternate with the attendings to teach their co-residents assigned Rutherford's chapters during Core Conference.
- Schedule monthly Journal Club meetings and select articles for discussion.
- The PGY-2 and PGY-4 residents are responsible for participating in the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC).
- Complete and submit simulation lab homework: ties (one-handed and two-handed)(PGY-1), patches (PGY-2), end-to side (PGY-3) and end-to-end (PGY-4) anastomoses weekly.
- During call:
- The PGY-4 and PGY-5 will alternate taking chief call. They will act as second call and supervisor to the junior resident on service.
- The PGY-1 will take in-house call while the PGY-3-5 may take home call.
Provisions for Vascular Residents
- Surgical magnifying loupes (covered with education funds; PGY-1 $1000, PGY-2-4 $1250, PGY-5 $2000).
- Protective lead.
- SVS membership.
- Vascular surgical SCORE access.
- VESAP.
- Copy of Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy.
- Copy of Vascular Surgery Review Book.
- PGY-4 coverage for the Annual UCLA/SVS symposium in Beverly Hill, CA.
Education Schedule
Residency training in vascular surgery includes hands-on patient care experiences both in and out of the operating room as well as didactic sessions, interactive conferences and simulation. The core curriculum not only provides residents with exposure to the full spectrum of vascular surgery as science, it teaches about the social, economic and political issues that can affect surgical practice.
Interesting Case Conference
Every other Tuesday, 7 - 8 a.m.
- This is a collaborative conference in which the attendings from both institutions come together to discuss interesting cases either from clinic or inpatient consults. We review imaging together and as a group come up with the best plan of care. Whether operative or medical management, we go through the ins and outs of our plan together.
Morbidity and Mortality
Every other Tuesday, 7 - 8 a.m.
- Here we discuss the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management of our patients. As we review the cases, we determine what quality improvement measures must be taken and alter our practice management accordingly to improve patient management and outcomes.
Core Conference
Every Thursday, 7 - 8 a.m.
- An attending or senior resident led lecture reviewing chapters from Rutherford's. this conference covers the entirety of Rutherford's over two years. Additional lectures cover high yield chapters from Strandness for the RPVI. We also have professional focused lectures to discuss career goals, interviewing, financial education , as well as work-life balance and burnout.
Resident Lead VSITE Review Course
Every Thursday, 3 - 4 p.m.
- A dedicated VSITE review led by the residents. Each resident is assigned a topic to teach their co-residents. Here we focus on high yield topics using provided review materials including SCORE, the Vascular Review Book, and VESAP. The curriculum allows the residents to cover all essential materials within the 7 months leading up to the VSITE.
Oral Board Prep
Last Thursday of the month, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
- This is a mock oral session led by our attendings. These sessions ramp up after the VSITE as our chief resident prepares for the boards.
Senior Clinic
Every Friday morning
- The PGY 5 resident runs their own chief clinic. He or she will see their own consults and decide on appropriate management. They will be primary operating surgeon and perform all follow-up clinic visits. They make all decisions regarding the medical management and surveillance under the supervision of an attending. Here, the residents are also responsible for all billing and coding for each patient. Every year, the next PGY 5 resident will inherit the patients of the previous chief resident, as well as gain their own new personal patients to follow throughout the year. The purpose of this model is to simulate real world practice to better prepare our residents for life after graduation.
RPVI Review
Every Wednesday, 4 - 5:00 p.m.
- This is an opportunity for the residents to get feedback on their vascular lab reads as well as perform real time reads with the attending. We also have sessions discussing Strandness, as well as the physics and theories needed to pass the RPVI exam.
- Alongside the RPVI review, the PGY 1 and PGY 2 have 2 week rotations in our Vascular Ultrasound Lab where they get one-on-one tutor
Simulation Lab
Monthly, Tuesdays, 9 - 11 a.m.
- Each session is led by either an attending or an industry representative. In our state-of-the-art GME funded simulation lab, we have access to sessions using a wide range of operative models and all open surgical equipment. Endovascular simulators are brought in by industry representatives.
- Simulation models include, but are not limited to: laparotomy, central and arterial lines, EVAR, FEVAR, CEA, femoral endarterectomy, vascular anastomosis, AAA, bowel anastomosis and cadaver simulations.
- Each resident receives their own set of Castroviejo's, Gerald tissue forceps and Potts scissors for independent practice. The simulation lab provides an unlimited supply of sutures, tubing and grafting material. Each resident is required to perform a set number of either ties (one-handed or two-hand for PGY-1), patches (PGY-2), end-to-side (PGY-3) or end-to-end (PGY-4) anastomoses weekly. This helps to solidify the resident's surgical technique both inside and outside of the OR.
Carle Health Annual Vascular Medicine Symposium
