Program Details

Education is the core of surgical training. For formal didactics, we will utilize the Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE) curriculum, which includes the rotating This Week in Score (TWIS) feature, weekly didactic lectures by faculty, and complementary online learning modules.

The educational program also includes:

• Weekly Morbidity & Mortality Conference
• Biweekly Grand Rounds
• Monthly Journal Club
• Thoracic, Breast, Gastrointestinal/Hepatobiliary, and Head & Neck Tumor Boards
• Access to Trauma Simulations, Trauma Morning Report, Transplant Recipient Selection, and Transplant Adverse Event Review Conferences at HUMC
• Biweekly Simulation Lab Sessions
• Biweekly Oral Boards Review/Interesting Case Discussion

Rotations

Residents will participate in the following rotations during the 5-year program:

• General Surgery (PGY-1-5)
• Colorectal Surgery (PGY-1, -3 and -5)
• Surgical Oncology (PGY-1, -3 and -5)
• Trauma Surgery @ HUMC (PGY-1 and -4)
• Vascular Surgery (PGY-1, -3 and -5)
• Minimally Invasive and Foregut Surgery (PGY-1, -2, -3 and -5)
• Thoracic Surgery (PGY-1, -3, and -4)
• Head & Neck and Endocrine Surgery (PGY-2 and -4)
• Breast and Plastic Surgery (PGY-2 and -4)
• Transplant surgery @ HUMC (PGY-2 and -4)
• Pediatric Surgery @ HUMC (PGY-2 and -4)
• Intensive Care Unit (PGY-2 and -3)
• Anesthesia (PGY-2)
• Endoscopy (PGY-3 and -4)

With the exception of Transplant, Trauma, and Pediatric surgery, all rotations are at JFK University Medical Center.

Teaching Hospitals

The academic hub of the Hackensack Meridian Health Central Region, JFK University Medical Center (JFKUMC) is a 499-bed tertiary care institution located in Edison, New Jersey. Approximately 13,000 surgical cases are performed at JFKUMC annually, a high proportion of which are completed robotically. JFKUMC will serve as the primary training site for our General Surgery Residency Program and is also home to residency and fellowship programs in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Neurology, General Practice Dentistry, Brain Injury, Pain, Sleep Medicine, and Advanced Thoracic Surgery. Our surgical teaching faculty are experienced, board-certified surgeons across General Surgery and multiple surgical subspecialties. We offer both advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery approaches as a part of our surgical practices. Residents will benefit from this broad range of specialties and techniques offered at JFKUMC as they participate in clinical rotations and will learn to provide culturally competent care to the diverse patient population that we serve.

Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) is an 803-bed quaternary care center within the Hackensack Meridian Health network and an American College of Surgeons designated Level 1 Trauma Center. Located in Hackensack, New Jersey, HUMC serves as the hub for the network’s Northern region. JFKUMC residents will rotate through HUMC to learn from their extensive expertise in Trauma, Pediatric Surgery, and Transplant Surgery. HUMC is home to residencies in Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Urology, Anesthesia, General Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology. While JFKUMC General Surgery residents will rotate on services with HUMC General Surgery residents, the case volumes are more than sufficient to support all learners.

JFKUMC is affiliated with the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM), located in Nutley, New Jersey. Initially organized as a joint venture with Seton Hall University, HMSOM has been operating independently since 2020. HMSOM holds Full Accreditation Status from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

Scholarly Activity

Scholarly activity is vital to the development of surgeon scientists. Over the course of our 5-year program, residents will be required to complete one Quality Improvement (QI) project and one original research project. To support this, the program will offer scheduled didactics on the fundamentals of research. Residents will be assigned a faculty mentor with whom they will collaborate and develop their projects. Residents will also have access to the HMSOM Library and Hackensack Meridian Health Office of Research Administration resources including research coordinators, educational workshops and seminars, and data analysis support. The Department of Surgery will support resident travel for podium presentations at national meetings.

Salary and Benefits

Compensation (Academic Year 2024-2025)

• PGY-1: $73,619.97
• PGY-2: $77,112.20
• PGY-3: $81,037.95
• PGY-4: $85,770.29
• PGY-5: $88,910.49

Benefits

• Choice of Medical Insurance Plans
• Dental Insurance
• Prescription Plan
• Eye Care Plan
• Medical Liability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance

Vacation and Personal Time

• Paid Time Off (PTO): 20 days/year
• Holidays: 6 days/year
• Wellness Days: 5 days/year
• Sick Days: 5 days/year 

Continuing Medical Education

• BLS, ACLS, ATLS, and PALS provided at no cost
• Weekly conference series and didactics

Miscellaneous

• $400/year book allowance
• Travel reimbursement for outside rotations and podium presentations at national meetings
• Monthly meal stipend
• Uniforms (scrubs and personalized lab coats)
• Childcare available
• On-site Fitness Center (discounted for JFKUMC employees)