Lahey Clinic
Program Director: Thomas Read, M.D.
41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA 01805
Phone: (781) 744-8971 Fax: (781) 744-2945
Email: thomas.read@lahey.org
Number of Residents (per year): 2
Number of Faculty (ABCRS Certified): 8
Salary/Year: $64,723
Case mix/ number of cases: Each resident performs an average of 300 operative cases per year of which 60% are abdominal colon procedures and 40% are anorectal procedures. Residents also perform an average of 300 colonoscopic and flexible sigmoidoscopic procedures.
Strengths of program: The program is well-balanced providing in-depth exposure to the spectrum of colorectal disorders. The Clinic is a referral center for the treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease and provides residents with extensive experience in the medical and surgical treatment of these disorders. Residents will also encounter a high volume of patient suffering from complex diverticular disease. Residents also receive in-depth training in the management of routine and complex anorectal disorders. We are actively involved in the application of laparoscopic technology to colorectal surgery, and have several state-of-the-art operating rooms devoted to advanced laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery, complete with fiberoptic carbon dioxide colonoscopy.
Clinic or office experience: Each resident rotates twice for two months on each of the three clinical services, which each have 2-3 faculty. During each rotation, residents actively participate in the care of patients in the outpatient and inpatient settings, in the operating room, and in the endoscopy suite. Residents also perform minor outpatient operative procedures under staff supervision. The outpatient clinic, endoscopy suites, inpatient care area and operating rooms are all in the same building, which facilitates resident participation in all aspects of patient care.
Interaction with general surgery residents: General surgery residents at the PGY-1 to PGY-3 level are responsible for care of hospitalized patients under the supervision of the colorectal surgery residents and faculty. A PGY-4 or PGY-5 general surgery resident functions as the chief of one of the clinical services, rotating and sharing call with the colorectal surgery residents. There are also mid-level providers (physician assistants, nurse practitioners) who assist in patient care.
Conferences: Include: a weekly core colorectal surgery conference; monthly journal club; bi-monthly colorectal surgery morbidity and mortality conference; monthly colorectal surgery teleconference with other sites; monthly general surgery grand rounds; monthly inflammatory bowel disease conference with the Department of Gastroenterology; weekly gastrointestinal tumor conference with the Departments of Radiology, Pathology, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Hepatobiliary Surgery; weekly gastrointestinal radiology conference; and monthly combined morbidity and mortality conference with the Department of General Surgery.
Outside rotations: None are offered. Residents have the opportunity to participate in anorectal physiology testing at an off-site facility.
Requirement for paper: All residents are required to submit an abstract for presentation at the annual meeting of the ASCRS. Residents are encouraged to pursue additional clinical projects that would be anticipated to result in submission of a manuscript for publication.
Opportunity to attend meetings: Residents are supported to attend the annual meeting of the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons as well as the meeting of the New England Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery, both in the spring. Attendance at other national or regional meetings is provided if they are presenting Lahey Clinic data. In addition, the colon and rectal residents are supported to attend one of the endorectal ultrasound courses offered by the University of Minnesota or Cleveland Clinic Florida.