Maine Medical Center
Vascular Residency Hero

Curriculum

During the first three years, residents rotate on general surgery core rotations, such as acute care surgery, trauma, pediatric surgery, critical care, and night float, as well as vascular. There are other core rotations that provide important skills for the vascular surgeon, such as wound care, plastic surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery. We also build in time for electives in case the resident chooses to spend more time on one of these services, get more time on vascular, or rotate through another pertinent specialty, such as interventional radiology or neurosurgery. As the resident progresses through the program, the fourth and fifth years provide the opportunity to run one of our two inpatient vascular services and lead a team of junior vascular and general surgical residents, advanced practice practitioners, and medical students. The curriculum culminates in the final quarter of the PGY5 “junior attending” chief rotation. During this time, the chief resident, along with their dedicated PGY3 resident, essentially run their own inpatient/outpatient practice with support from the attendings. This level of supervised autonomy prepares the resident to transition to independent practice in a smooth fashion, with the support of the attendings and institution that has trained them in the preceding years.

The evaluation of the surgical patient in an outpatient setting is key to the education of a vascular surgeon, and we protect at least one half day per week of clinic time for residents. Hands-on training in the vascular lab is also done in the outpatient setting. The wound care experience is entirely outpatient at our comprehensive clinic, which is staffed by a multidisciplinary team and includes a hyperbaric chamber.

Each resident will be afforded 21 days or 4 weeks of time away for vacation/conferences per year. Residents will typically take one week at a time per quarter.

Year 1

Block 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Rotation VS VS VS VS NF NF NF Trauma Pedi GS GS/QI ACS SCU
% Outpatient 10% 10% 10% 10% 0% 0% 0% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 0%

Year 2

Block 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Rotation VS VS VS VS VS ACS NF Trauma Surg Onc Trans SCU NF ACS
% Outpatient 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 100% 0% 0% 10% 10% 0% 10%

Year 3

Block 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Rotation VS VS VS VS VS VS VS W&V Thoracic SCU ACS Elective Elective
% Outpatient 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 0% 0% 10% 10% 10%

Year 4

Block 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Rotation VS VS VS VS VS VS VS VS VS VS VS VS VS
% Outpatient 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10%

Year 5

Block 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Rotation VS VS VS VS VS VS VS VS VS VS CHIEF CHIEF CHIEF
% Outpatient 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 20% 20% 20%

Common Electives: Plastics, Transplant, IR, Neurointerventional, Cardiac