General Surgery Residency Columbia - How to Apply

Application requirements

Our program offers four categorical and two designated preliminary positions each year. In an effort to be transparent we believe that all applicants deserve to know our application standards, and we respect our applicants enough to share them with you. Applications are only accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). To apply for a position in our program, please ensure you have the following:

Completion of USMLE Step 2 exam.
- A minimum USMLE Step 2 score of 230 is recommended to be considered for an interview.
Three letters of recommendation.
Dean’s letter.
Personal statement.

Each applicant is reviewed in a holistic manner by our selection committee made up of residents and faculty. Factors that influence the decision to extend an interview offer include academic achievements, letters of recommendation, personal statement, research accomplishments, awards, extracurricular activities including leadership positions, work history, interest in surgery, and other important life experiences. No single factor is used to offer an interview, but we attempt to weigh the individual strengths and weaknesses of each applicant to select those who may fit best in our program.

Application process (2024 ERAS season)

Programs may begin reviewing MyERAS applications beginning September 27^th. We encourage all applicants to have their application completed by this date, as incomplete applications will not be reviewed, and the majority of interview offers will be extended to this initial pool of applications.

In accordance with Association of Program Directors in Surgery Recruitment Task Force Recommendations, the first round of interview offers will be extended between Thursday, October 26^th and Tuesday October 31^st. In order to contribute to a healthy match process, we pledge that we will not send out more interview offers than we have interview spots available. We will allow applicants up to 48 hours to respond to an interview offer. We ask applicants to notify our program at least one week before any cancellation of an interview. In the event of a conflict, we will attempt to work with you to find another available date whenever possible.

We will have six interview dates with an anticipated eight applicants on each date. Our interview dates for the 2024–25 match cycle are: November 3, November 10, December 1, December 8, December 15, January 5, and January 12. Interviews will be virtual for the 2024–25 match cycle. To reduce bias at the time of the interview, a structured, standardized interview process is used and interviewers (with the exception of the program director) are blinded to the applicant’s files at the time of the interview. A rank list meeting is held which consists of both the initial selection committee and all interviewers. Interview performance and individual characteristics are strongly considered when creating our rank list. After our program has submitted a final rank list, but before applicants’ rank list is due, there will be an opportunity for voluntary in-person live site visits. This will not affect any applicant’s rank position.

Additional considerations and questions:

Do you accept DO applicants? Foreign medical graduates? Preliminary residents?

Ultimately, we are looking for the most qualified applicants to join our program, regardless of their medical school or degree. Strong applicants will be considered from DO and international medical schools, and we do have a history of matching exceptional students from non-allopathic and/or non-US medical schools who have excelled in our program and beyond. All applicants are required to take USMLE Step 2 prior to applying however, so that we can fairly employ the same evaluation standards.
International/foreign medical graduates must be a US citizen or hold a green card as a permanent resident as we do not have the ability to sponsor visas at this time.
Residents who have already completed a preliminary year in general surgery are welcome to apply. Emphasis will be placed on the performance during intern year, including updated letters of recommendation and accomplishments since the last match cycle.
Only applicants who have completed medical school within the last two years will be considered.

Should I apply for a preliminary position in your program?

We accept both designated and non-designated preliminary applicants. Depending on your career interests and goals, we do have the ability to tailor the preliminary year to meet individual needs, and we want our preliminary residents to have the opportunity to make the most out of their year with us. We do have a track record of working with non-designated preliminary residents and helping them successfully navigate the application process to match into their desired specialty. We have occasionally retained some of the most qualified preliminary residents interested in general surgery in our own program with great success.

How can I show my interest in your program?

If you choose to participate ERAS signaling process, this serves as a fair and balanced method to express interest in our program. All other communication in this regard is unnecessary. Please do not send our program coordinator or program director unsolicited emails expressing your interest in our program. However, please feel free to contact us if you have questions or need to communicate changes to your application status to our program.

For more information, contact:

Natalie Hawkins
GME Program Administrator
Prisma Health General Surgery Residency Columbia
2 Medical Park Rd., Suite 306
Columbia, SC 29203
GeneralSurgeryResidencyColumbia@PrismaHealth.org
Phone: 803-434-8198
Fax: 803-434-6104