General Surgery Residency Program
Kfir Ben-David, MD, FACS
Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery
Program Director, General Surgery Residency Program
Welcome from the Chair of Surgery and Program Director –
Welcome to the Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Department of Surgery. It is my privilege to introduce you to our General Surgery Residency Program and the educational philosophy that guides every aspect of our training.
At FAU, we are committed to developing the next generation of exceptional surgeons through a culture founded on excellence, innovation, accountability, professionalism, and compassionate patient-centered care. Our mission extends far beyond teaching operative technique. We strive to cultivate surgical leaders who demonstrate outstanding clinical judgment, technical mastery, intellectual curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to lifelong learning.
Our residents benefit from a comprehensive and diverse educational experience across multiple high-volume teaching hospitals. This broad clinical exposure encompasses the full spectrum of contemporary surgical practice, including emergency general surgery, trauma, surgical critical care, surgical oncology, colorectal surgery, vascular surgery, breast surgery, pediatric surgery, minimally invasive surgery, advanced robotic surgery, and multidisciplinary cancer care. Through progressive responsibility and close faculty mentorship, residents develop the confidence and competence required for independent surgical practice. Collectively, our residents perform and participate in more than 9,000 operative cases and procedures annually.
Education within our department extends well beyond the operating room. Residents participate in a robust academic curriculum that includes protected didactic conferences, multidisciplinary tumor boards, Morbidity and Mortality Conferences, Surgical Grand Rounds, simulation-based training, robotic skills education, cadaveric laboratory experiences, endoscopy instruction, evidence-based journal clubs, mock oral board examinations, quality improvement initiatives, and scholarly research. This curriculum is intentionally aligned with the ACGME Core Competencies, the SCORE Curriculum, and the requirements of the American Board of Surgery to ensure that every graduate is fully prepared for either independent practice or advanced fellowship training. We believe exceptional surgeons are developed through deliberate practice, meaningful feedback, academic inquiry, and personal accountability.
To further enhance resident development, we have incorporated a unique value-added year into our training paradigm. Typically completed following the third clinical year, this additional experience allows residents to pursue individualized academic and professional enrichment. Opportunities include dedicated research under nationally recognized mentors, an in-residency trauma and critical care fellowship, or pursuit of a one-year executive master’s degree in disciplines such as healthcare administration, public health, medical informatics, or the business of medicine. This distinctive opportunity enables our graduates to enter the next stage of their careers with advanced expertise and a significant competitive advantage.
Equally central to our mission are the values of professionalism, integrity, teamwork, service, and respect. We expect every resident to lead by example, communicate with compassion, embrace continuous self-improvement, and consistently place the welfare of patients above all else. These principles define the culture of our department and prepare our graduates to become respected leaders in both academic and community surgery.
Our faculty strongly embrace the philosophy of graduated autonomy. Through a carefully structured progression of responsibility from supervised foundational training in the PGY-1 year to near independent chief resident practice in the PGY-5 year. Our residents gain increasing levels of responsibility while maintaining accountability and ensuring patient safety. Our unique combination of academic and community-based training environments exposes residents to the full reality of modern surgical practice and prepares them for any career path they choose.
Surgical training represents a finite opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, judgment, and professionalism that will define an entire career. The effort, discipline, and commitment invested during residency will ultimately shape the surgeon you become.
Our Resident Manual outlines the educational framework of our program and reflects the expectations, standards, opportunities, and values that define surgical training at Florida Atlantic University. More importantly, it reflects our unwavering commitment to providing one of the most comprehensive, rigorous, and forward thinking surgical training environments in the nation.
Thank you for choosing to be part of the Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Department of Surgery. Together, we will advance excellence in patient care, education, research, and innovation while preparing the future leaders of American surgery.