Maine Medical Center
Close-up view of two surgeons in an operating room

Research & Academic Tracks | General Surgery Residency

Both faculty and residents are engaged in lifelong learning pursuits ranging from presenting at grand rounds to grant-funded clinical and educational studies. Faculty interests are diverse, and interested residents can find mentors in many areas of investigation. MHMMC is also affiliated with a world-class research center, MaineHealth Institute for Research (MHIR) that is home to a wide variety of basic science and clinical labs.

At the resident level, required surgeon-scholar activities are as follows:

  • All residents are required to participate in Journal Clubs.
  • At the PGY2 level, residents complete a one day Clinical and Translational Research course.
  • At the PGY4 level, residents give a grand rounds presentation (50 minutes) on a topic of their choosing.
  • All residents are invited to participate in our Annual Spring Surgical Symposium and present on a topic of their interest.

As residents progress in their training and develop their clinical interests, they are expected to take part in at least one formal research project that can then be presented at a meeting as a poster or podium talk. Residents whose presentations are accepted receive departmental funding to support their trip. Research projects will be discussed during meetings with the program director every 6 months during semiannual evaluation.

Academic Tracks

MHMMC is excited to announce the launch of four academic tracks to support residents and fellows who desire more specialized training during their residency program:

  • Resident Research: 30-month longitudinal track for residents
  • Clinical Informatics: 24-month longitudinal track for residents
  • Resident Education and Leadership: (CELT): 24-month longitudinal track for residents
  • Fellow Clinician Educator: 18-month longitudinal track for fellows

Learn more about our academic tracks.
 

Scholarly Activity

Below is a sampling of the scholarly activity our residents have been involved in over the past two years.

Chinedu Okoli, MBBS, PGY5

Ongoing Research

  • Conflict Competence Education for General Surgery Residents: Lessons Learned

Publications

  • Okoli CC, Nwanna-Nzewunwa OC, Buchanan S. Training and Assessment of Nontechnical Skills in Cardiothoracic Surgery: Current Literature Review. J Surg Educ. 2025 May;82(5):103480. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103480. Epub 2025 Mar 6. PMID: 40048919.
  • Okoli C, Olsen B, Falank C, Denney A, Morse B, Sawhney J. Conflict Competence Among Resident Physicians: Knowledge and Perception. J Surg Educ. 2024 Dec;81(12):103310. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2024.103310. Epub 2024 Oct 30. PMID: 39471566.
  • Michael AI, Okoli C, Olusanya AA, Akintayo AJ, Onah II, Yiltok S, Oluwatosin OM. Multicenter Pattern of Cleft Surgeries and Factors Associated with Late Primary Cleft Surgery in Nigeria. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2024 May 14;12(5):e5795. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000005795. PMID: 38746947; PMCID: PMC11093566.

Conference Presentations

  • Ansar Hassan (1), Chinedu Okoli (2), Jane Branch (2), Kyla Wigant (2), Jaime Rabb (3), Robert Kramer (2), Anne Hicks (2); Rigid Sternal Fixation Alone Does Not Result in a Reduction in Post-Operative Opioid Administration Following Cardiac Surgery. American Association of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting, May 2005.

Liam Trimble, DO  PGY5

Publications

  • “Extragonadal Perirectal Mature Cystic Teratoma in the Adult Male" - published in CRSLS October 2022, presented at 2023 ASCRS annual meeting

Conference Presentations

  • "Evaluating MMC's OR Triaging" - presented at 2024 Maine ACS Conference
  • “Validation of a Disease-Specific Survival Model for Resected Entero-Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.” - 2024 SSO annual meeting

Meredith Elman, MD PGY4, Research Resident 2023-2025

Publications

  • Mannava SV, Muraru R, Raymond J, Markel TA, Bergus KC, Flynn-O'Brien K, Hartman HA, Speck KE, St Peter SD, Ayala SA, Callier K, Carter S, Elman M, Foley D, Goldstein SD, Koppera S, Kotagal M, Lal DR, Leys C, Marquart JP, Mak GZ, Moody S, Pitt JB, Santucci NM, Shah NR, Stellon M, Thakkar R, Wright T, Yeh A, Landman MP; Midwest Pediatric Surgery Consortium (MWPSC). Variable management of pediatric blunt renal trauma: A multicenter retrospective cohort study. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2025 Mar 20. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004604. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40107964.
  • Mannava SV, Muraru R, Raymond J, Markel TA, Bergus KC, Flynn-O'Brien K, Hartman HA, Speck KE, St Peter SD, Ayala SA, Callier K, Carter S, Elman M, Foley D, Goldstein SD, Koppera S, Kotagal M, Lal DR, Leys C, Marquart JP, Mak GZ, Moody S, Pitt JB, Santucci NM, Shah NR, Stellon M, Thakkar R, Wright T, Yeh A, Landman MP; Midwest Pediatric Surgery Consortium (MWPSC). Variable management of pediatric blunt renal trauma: A multicenter retrospective cohort study. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2025 Mar 20. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004604. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40107964.
  • Marlor D, Crandall M, Elman M, Stewart S, Cruz-Centeno N, Kim D, Ginger-Wiley M, Juang D. Misplaced Evidence, Missed Opportunities: Protocols for Handling Ballistic Evidence in Pediatric Patients. J Trauma Nurs. 2024 Jan-Feb 01;31(1):40-48. doi: 10.1097/JTN.0000000000000761. PMID: 38193491.
  • Carter M, Papastefan ST, Tian Y, Hartman SJ, Elman MS, Ungerleider SG, Garrison AP, Oyetunji TA, Landman MP, Raval MV, Goldstein SD, Lautz TB. A Retrospective Nationwide Comparison of Laparoscopic vs Open Inguinal Hernia Repair in Children. J Pediatr Surg. 2025 Feb;60(2):162056. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2024.162056. Epub 2024 Nov 7. PMID: 39541929.

Bridget Olsen, MD  PGY4

  • Okoli C, Olsen B, Falank C, Denney A, Morse B, Sawhney J. Conflict Competence Among Resident Physicians: Knowledge and Perception. J Surg Educ. 2024 Dec;81(12):103310. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2024.103310. Epub 2024 Oct 30. PMID: 39471566
  • Heidt N, Whiting JF, Falank C, Olsen BC, et al. Educational Value of Surgical Residents Operating as Teaching Assistant. J Surg Educ. 2023;80(11):1522-1528. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.06.008

Presented at the New England Surgical Society in 2023.

Lucero Paredes, MD  PGY3, Research Resident, 2022-2025

Publications

  • Ahuja V, Murthy SS, Leeds IL, Paredes LG, Su DG, Tsutsumi A, Perkal MF, King JT Jr. Surgical Outcomes and Utilization of Laparoscopic Versus Robotic Techniques for Elective Colectomy in Asian American and Native Hawaiian-Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Diagnosed With Colon Cancer. J Surg Res. 2024 Oct;302:40-46. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.07.007. Epub 2024 Jul 30. PMID: 39083904.
  • Lucero G Paredes 1 2 3, Yi Wang 4, Danya E Keene 5, Thomas M Gill 4, Robert D Becher 6; Population-based estimates of major forms of housing insecurity among community-living older Americans. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2024 Dec;72(12):3773-3783. doi: 10.1111/jgs.19167. Epub 2024 Sep 4.
  • Bhandarkar S, Tsutsumi A, Schneider EB, Ong CS, Paredes L, Brackett A, Ahuja V. Emergent Applications of Machine Learning for Diagnosing and Managing Appendicitis: A State-of-the-Art Review. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2024 Feb;25(1):7-18. doi: 10.1089/sur.2023.201. Epub 2023 Dec 26. PMID: 38150507.
  • Christopher S Schenck 1, James Dodington 2 3, Lucero Paredes 4, Marcie Gawel 2, Antwan Nedd 2, Pepe Vega 2, Kathleen M O'Neill 5; Implementation of an emerging hospital-based violence intervention program: a multimethod study. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2023 Nov 20;8(1):e001120.doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2023-001120. eCollection 2023.
  • Ahuja V, Paredes LG, Leeds IL, Perkal MF, King JT Jr. Clinical outcomes of elective robotic vs laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer utilizing a large national database. Surg Endosc. 2023 Sep;37(9):7199-7205. doi: 10.1007/s00464-023-10215-6. Epub 2023 Jun 26. PMID: 37365394.

Conference Presentations

  • Paredes LG, Raman U, Gawel M, Vega P, O’Neill K, Neddd A, Dodington J. (2024, April 13-16). An Unconditional Cash Transfer Program for Survivors of Firearm Injury: A Strategy to Address Community Gun Violence [Podium Presentation]. 2024 American College of Surgeons Leadership & Advocacy Summit, Washington, DC, USA.
  • Abaya R, Paredes LG, Dodington J, Kaufman E, Hohl B, Mancheno C, Flynn K, Johnson K. (2023, November 1-3). Unconditional Cash Transfer and Guaranteed Basic Income for Survivors of Firearm Violence: Experiences from Two Pilot Studies in Urban Centers [Podium Presentation]. 2023