The Mastery in General Surgery Program at Wake Forest School of Medicine is a one-year fellowship program offering advanced training in complex general surgery as well as a large experience in more commonly performed cases. We offer additional training in a community setting in general surgery including aspects of robotic, minimally invasive, and open surgery.
The aim of the program is to provide advanced training in the practice of general surgery to those interested in pursuing a community-style general surgery practice in a rural or stand-alone setting or in collaboration with an academic medical center.
The program is not designed to provide remediation but to provide an environment for the development and maturation of already excellent surgical skills. It is expected that graduates will be highly sought after by those recruiting general surgeons for community and rural practices.
Program Mission
The Mission of the Wake Forest School of Medicine Department of Surgery Mastery in General Surgery Program is to help associates develop broad-based excellence in the practice of general surgery. We aim to consistently develop well-rounded, compassionate graduates who are highly sought after by community practices.
Program Goals
Goal 1
- Provide a training experience in which associates develop excellence in the practice of general surgery including aspects of robotic, minimally invasive, and open surgery. Training will include extensive experience in complex general surgery cases as well as more straightforward surgical care.
- Offer 4 main rotations
- Davidson Surgical Associates in Lexington NC – associated with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
- Hickory Surgical Specialists in Hickory NC - associated with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
- Surgical Specialists High Point - associated with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
- Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salisbury NC
- Provide appropriate levels of autonomy with respect to decision making and operative experience in these settings.
- Provide complex MIS and robotics experience.
- Provide experiences with practicing community general surgeons at varied career stages
Goal 2
Provide a training experience that is tailored to the associates needs based both in the areas in which growth is desired and the associate’s plans for the future with respect to practice settings. Associates will have graduated autonomy based on their level of experience and readiness.
- Interview Associate as to their needs and planned career direction
- Have faculty complete Intake Assessment Tool after 1 month of practice at our institution.
- Develop specific plan based on these data
Goal 3
Help Associates develop leadership skills and experience that will allow them to effectively lead teams, manage conflict, coordinate multiple services, and mentor others.
- Hold quarterly discussions with Associates to give feedback and guidance based on input from attending physicians, other staff, and students
- Ongoing feedback to be provided by attending physicians on an ad hoc basis
Goal 4
Provide experience and training in the development and implementation of quality and performance improvement initiatives.
- Involve Associates in general surgery peer review and performance improvement. Associates will participate in implementation of QI/PI efforts on the services on which they rotate
- If more extensive experience is desired, associates will work with Acute Care Surgery faculty on ongoing PI projects
Goal 5
Provide training and resources so that the associate may learn aspects of billing and collections, as well as medical liability.
- Provide instruction by our billing/compliance departments on appropriate physician billing strategies and rules
- Provide ongoing instruction in daily billing practices in both the academic and private practice setting
- Provide feedback on billing practices in the form of tracking of RVUs and charges, and compliance audit for coding accuracy
- Provide access to risk management professionals and legal counsel as opportunities arise
