Surgical PA Residency

This program is currently in transition. Please check back for more details, or email Margi McKellar for additional information.

Surgical PA performing patient follow-up exam.

Emory University's one-year Surgical Physician Assistant (PA) Residency Program involves all aspects of perioperative patient care for those seeking advanced training and experience in surgery. The PA residency builds extensive surgical and patient management skills that can propel graduates into successful careers in both academic and private practice settings.

The first six-month block of core rotations will acquaint PA residents with general and specialty surgery fields, followed by six more months of elective rotations directed towards personal interests and career goals. Clinical experiences will be reinforced by a daily didactic curriculum provided via live and web based lectures, multidisciplinary rounds, weekly conferences, and simulation labs.

Curriculum Outline

The didactic curriculum consists of live lectures, conferences, and a core, web-based program of study that provides video lectures complemented by reading assignments, PowerPoint presentations, and written examinations. Content encompasses topics in general surgery, vascular surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, trauma and critical care, and surgical oncology. Transplantation medicine and the management of transplant patients will also be covered. The curriculum is founded on the backbone of the Surgical Council on Resident Education and aims to provide PA residents with a solid network of fundamentals that can support the development of their clinical acumen in the care of the surgical patient.

The clinical curriculum works in concert with the didactic component and features strategically placed rotations in outpatient, inpatient, and operative settings at Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown, and Grady Memorial Hospital. The breadth of the clinical experiences offered by the Emory Department of Surgery will be leveraged to the benefit of the PA resident. In addition, the latter six months of the program allow the resident to focus on the disciplines that they plan on pursuing professionally.

Unlike what many trainees routinely experience, this phase can serve as a "transition to practice" or a time of preparation for independent clinical activity. PA residents are expected to perform daily rounds; present patients articulately and accurately; describe and implement treatment plans; give educational presentations to physician, PA, and RN staff; perform invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures; and participate and become proficient in all surgical aspects of the perioperative care of the surgical patient. The goal of the clinical curriculum is to foster and instruct the PA resident so they may develop proficient clinical skills in the pre-, peri-, and post-operative care of the surgical patient.

University and Institutional Affiliations

Emory University Hospital Midtown: A 550-bed community-based, tertiary care center, Emory University Hospital Midtown is staffed by 1,660 Emory medical faculty, 352 private practice physicians, and 304 Kaiser Permanente physicians. The hospital is well known for services in cardiology, cardiac surgery, gastroenterology, neurosurgery, cancer, and emergency medicine.

Emory University Hospital: A 751-bed acute care facility, Emory University Hospital is ranked one of "America's Best Hospitals" and is staffed exclusively by Emory School of Medicine faculty who are also members of The Emory Clinic. EUH is long known for services in transplantation, cardiology, cardiac surgery, oncology, neurology/neurosurgery, and orthopaedics.

Grady Memorial Hospital: One of the largest public hospitals in the Southeast, Grady Memorial Hospital has 953 beds and an annual service volume of more than 33,000 admissions, 333,500 outpatient services, and 150,562 emergency room visits. Grady is staffed by 900 Emory medical faculty and 135 advanced practice providers; in addition, 376 Emory residents and fellows provide care at Grady under supervision of the faculty. Together, these Emory physicians provide about 80% of care at Grady, with the other 20% provided by Morehouse School of Medicine and Grady-employed physicians.

Timetable

 Event

 February Start

 Application Deadline

 September 15

 Interview Notification

 Rolling

 Interview Dates

 First week of October

 Selection Notification

 Second week of October

 Commitment to Program

 October 31

 Start Date

 February 1

Entry Requirements

Applicants must be graduates of an ARC-PA accredited physician assistant program with a minimum of a 3.2 overall GPA.

Applicants must undergo a pre-employment background check, be eligible for Georgia licensure upon acceptance into the program, and obtain their license during the first six months of the residency.

Applicants must be NCCPA eligible or certified. New graduates accepted into the program are required to pass the NCCPA certification examination prior to matriculating into the residency program.

Applicants must appear in person for an interview.

Credentials Awarded

Upon successful completion of the residency program, the PA resident will be awarded a Certificate of Completion signed by the Program Director, Medical Director, and the Chair of the Department of Surgery.

Financial Information

Annual Stipend: $52,000

Benefits: PA residents are eligible for the full and comprehensive benefits package afforded to all full-time PAs employed by The Emory Clinic, Inc., including medical, dental, life insurance, retirement plan, educational reimbursement, disability, child and elder care, and comprehensive leave time. The residency program also provides the PA resident with all educational materials, including handouts and internet access while in an Emory facility. The PA resident is given full access to Emory University library facilities and provided with surgical loupes, lab coats, and reimbursement for professional organizational fees.

Faculty

John F. Sweeney, MD
Joseph Brown Whitehead Professor and Chair
Department of Surgery
Emory University School of Medicine

Keith A. Delman, MD
Associate Chair, Faculty and Clinical Affairs
Professor of Surgery
Department of Surgery
Emory University School of Medicine

Margi McKellar, MS PA-C
Physician Assistant, Surgical Oncology and Dermatology
Melanoma Patient Coordinator
Emory Winship Cancer Institute

Application and Contact

To expedite the application process, please fill out the writable PDF application, and send as an attachment to Margi McKellar, marjorie.mckellar@emoryhealthcare.org. Any required supporting documentation is described in the application. You may also call 404.727.0093 with any questions or concerns.

Applications and supporting documentation can also be regular mailed to:

Emory Surgical PA Residency Program
Winship Cancer Institute
1365 Clifton Road NE, Suite C2052
Atlanta, GA 30322