Program Overview

Program History

The program was established in 1936 at what was then known as Freedmen’s Hospital, which served the African American community in the Washington metropolitan area since it was founded in 1862. In 1975, the program was relocated to its present location, Howard University Hospital, which is the nation’s only teaching hospital on the campus of a historically black college and university. The surgery residency program has received continuous accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) since its inception. Notable graduates and trainees include:

  • Dr. Charles R. Drew: first to organize large-scale blood banking from his work on blood plasma preservation
  • Dr. Lasalle D. Leffall Jr.: pioneer surgical oncologist and the first African American president of the American Cancer Society and American College of Surgeons
  • Dr. Asa G. Yancey Sr.: described the first modification of the Swenson Procedure to treat congenital aganglionic megacolon or Hirschspring’s disease, now known as the Yancey-Soave Procedure
  • Dr. Clive O. Callender: transplant surgeon who founded the National Minority Organ Transplant Tissue Education Program-MOTTEP
  • Dr. Deborah H. Ford: current academic dean and former program director, first African American woman to be board certified in colorectal surgery
  • Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick: President Emeritus of Howard University
  • Dr. Terrence M. Fullum: current department of surgery Chair and Surgeon-in-Chief at Howard University Hospital
  • Dr. Carla M. Pugh: first surgeon in the US to obtain a PhD in education, current Director of Technology Enabled Clinical Improvement Center at Stanford
  • Dr. Patricia L. Turner: current Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the American College of Surgeons, first African American and first female to serve in this role.

Education

PGY-1 residents are assigned to general surgery (includes MIS and colorectal), trauma / acute care surgery / SICU, and subspecialty rotations (surgical oncology, plastics, ENT, urology, cardiothoracic/vascular). PGY-2 residents are assigned to SICU, general surgery, trauma and acute care surgery, and pediatric surgery. PGY-3 residents are assigned to general surgery, surgical oncology, trauma and acute care surgery, hepatobiliary and pancreas surgery, and transplant surgery. PGY-4 residents are assigned senior level responsibilities on general surgery (includes advanced robotic and laparoscopic surgery), trauma and acute care surgery, surgical oncology, and vascular surgery.  They will also have the opportunity for an elective rotation of their choice in preparation for a match in that respective specialty. PGY-5 chiefs are assigned to general surgery including advanced MIS, robotic, and colorectal surgery, breast surgery, thoracic surgery, and trauma and acute care surgery.  They function at the instructor level in managing the service with teaching responsibilities.

Our graduating chief residents have performed an average of over 1,100 cases. Over the past 5 years, our graduates chose and matched into fellowship programs in Minimally Invasive Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Trauma and Critical Care, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular, Breast, Colorectal, and Plastic Surgery to top programs at Massachusetts General Hospital, MD Anderson, Baylor, UC San Francisco, Cleveland Clinic, Children’s National Medical Center, Shock Trauma, and Cornell, to name a few. Many now hold faculty positions in academic programs throughout the United States and the world.

Research

Dedicated research time is available for two years after the PGY-2 year. Several faculty members have ongoing research projects in clinical, translational, and outcomes research. We have a dedicated Outcomes Research Center named after the pioneer transplant surgeon, Dr. Clive Callender, which has access to many national registry databases that serve as a robust source of research opportunities. The Howard University Outcomes Research Center maintains formal partnerships with Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 10 years, the center has published over 350 manuscripts. We encourage residents to apply to the research track for those who are interested in an academic career or a competitive fellowship.