Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Program Director: Scott Strong, M.D.
9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk A30
Cleveland, OH 44195
Phone: (216) 444-0361
Email: Strongs@ccf.org
Web site: http://www.ccf.org/cors/
Number of Residents (per year): 4
Number of Faculty (ABCRS Certified): 8
Salary/Year: $50,254
Case mix / number of cases: The 12 staff surgeons annually care for nearly 20,000 persons in the outpatient clinic while performing 3,500 abdominal operations, 1,800 anorectal procedures, and 3,000 colonoscopic examinations. Patients are offered comprehensive care that incorporates the latest technical advances in laparoscopy, sphincter preservation/reconstruction, anorectal physiology testing, endoscopy, and imaging techniques. Our training program exposes residents to myriad disorders of the small bowel, colon, rectum, and anus that encompass the breadth of benign and malignant disease. The program also offers trainees the opportunity to participate in IRB-approved clinical trials/studies and NIH-funded basic science research.
Strengths of program: The program provides exposure to a large number of complex cases of inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and anorectal problems as well as more routine cases. Experience in the management of these cases results in well trained surgeons capable of dealing with all situations. The program is supported by physician assistants and nurse practitioners who assist with patient care in the hospital and ambulatory settings. The department also houses a well-equipped anorectal physiology laboratory, endoscopy suites, and an endoluminal ultrasound unit; residents gain extensive experience in performing all studies.
Clinic or office experience: Each resident accompanies the staff physician in the outpatient clinic. New and follow up patients are evaluated and the resident actively participates in decision analysis.
Interaction with general surgery residents: Each service is assigned a junior level General Surgery resident (one PGY-5 resident rotates at a level similar to the Colorectal Surgery resident, but not on the same service).
Conferences: Weekly didactic teaching conferences are held with presentations by the staff and invited speakers; each resident will prepare one presentation on a designated subject. Other conferences include weekly case management conferences, pathology lectures, monthly mortality and morbidity conference, monthly tumor conference, monthly IBD conference, and monthly journal/research conference. All residents recieve instruction in laparoscopy in a laboratory setting and extensive experience in the operating room.
Anorectal physiology availability: Available studies include manometry, EMG, defecography, dynamic pelvic MRI, and endorectal/endoanal ultrasound. Experience with each procedure is gained as they are routinely performed in the outpatient setting.
Outside rotations: May be arranged for specific purpose with approval of program director.
Research year: Available either before or after clinical year, but not required. Opportunities exist in basic science, animal work, or clinical subjects.
Requirement for paper: Each resident is expected to write at least one major paper to be submitted for presentation at a national meeting and publication in a peer review journal. Opportunities exist for more participation and many residents are able to generate more than one publication.
Opportunity to attend meetings: Attnedance at several local and regional society meetings is encouraged. Each resident is financially supported to attend one national meeting such as the ACS, DDW or ASCRS meeting. Attendance at approved meetings for presentation of a paper is encouraged and appropriate support provided.