General Surgery Residency Program News

The U.S. News and World Report has ranked the Duke University School of Medicine 2nd in surgery among the best medical schools in the country. This 2nd place ranking is up considerably from the department’s 5th place ranking last year.

The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research has released its 2018 rankings of NIH funding for basic and clinical science departments, revealing that Duke Surgery ranks highest nationwide with more than $30 million in funding committed to research.

Dr. Brian Gilmore, General Surgery Resident, has received the 2018 Resident Educator Award from medical students in the surgery clerkship. This award is given annually to a resident nominated by medical students based on the resident’s commitment to enhancing student education and surgical training.

According to Kyle Freischlag who presented Dr. Gilmore with the award, “This award is meant to recognize not only teaching on the wards and in the operating room, but also innovation in teaching methods and dedication to student betterment.”

With a buzzing phone and dinging inbox repeatedly begging for her attention, Dr. Georgia Beasley momentarily tunes out the chaos to discuss the journey that led to her current position at Duke. Here, she splits her time between treating melanoma patients in the clinic and researching novel treatments for the disease in the laboratory.

The Arnold P. Gold Foundation has awarded its Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award to General Surgery resident Babatunde Yerokun, MD, in recognition of his exceptional teaching skills and commitment to compassionate treatment of patients, families, students, and colleagues.

Whitney Lane, MD, General Surgery Resident, has been selected to receive a 2018 Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Merit Award. The award will assist with expenses associated with attending and presenting her research at the ASCO Quality Care Symposium.

Congratulations to General Surgery Resident Harold Leraas, MD, who will present his abstract, “Balanced RBC to plasma ratio is associated with decreased mortality risk in pediatric trauma patients receiving massive transfusion,” during the 2018 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition.

Seven residents were recently honored with the Appleseed Resident Training Award, a recognition to those who have “not only exceeded expectations of medical pedagogy, but have shown genuine passion for training the next generation of doctors.” Created in 2008 by medical students, the award is given to the top 10% of residents and interns in each core rotation who have positively impacted other trainees through education.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients:

Congratulations to Oliver Jawitz, MD, General Surgery Resident, who has received a research fellowship from the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). With funding from the DCRI's T32 research training grant, the fellowship will support Dr. Jawitz's postdoctoral training in cardiovascular research.

Photo: Dr. Kevin Southerland, Vascular Surgery Fellow, Dr. Karenia Landa, General Surgery Resident, and Dr. Shanna Sprinkle, General Surgery Resident

The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is the oldest and largest student-run organization focused on the needs and concerns of medical students of color. Each year, the national conference brings together its members for workshops related to professional development, community empowerment, and research.