Applicant FAQs

The MGH Surgical Residency Program will prepare you to become an outstanding surgeon, with an expert team of faculty and a diverse curriculum that includes complex surgical cases. Our program will challenge you to be your best, while providing a robust clinical, didactic and simulation educational program.

Yes. Our residency program includes operative rotations at Salem Hospital and Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Each rotation will allow you to perform operations and take care of patients with both low- and high-acuity illnesses requiring treatment from multiple specialties. We also spend time at stand-alone ambulatory surgical centers (Waltham and Danvers) for outpatient surgery.

Our program comprises a strong didactic curriculum that includes:

• An intern orientation (which runs through the summer)
• Department-wide conferences, such as Surgical Grand Rounds and Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) Conferences
• A core curriculum (held on Thursdays from 10:00 am-11:00 am)
• Localized teaching, where small teams each have a faculty team leader who coordinates readings and didactics on a particular service
• A simulation curriculum coordinated with didactics (from PGY-1 through PGY-5). View simulation curriculum map
• A comprehensive robotic curriculum

Yes. A one-month elective is built into the PGY-4 year and occasionally into the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th years, depending on class size. Past residents have chosen rotations at MGH, as well as off-site locations—both domestic and international. If you are interested in global health, the MGH Department of Surgery offers an array of international opportunities.

No. As in many academic programs, a block for professional development (usually two years) is offered. You may choose a research period between your third and fourth clinical years to pursue research, another advanced degree, or something else of your choosing. About 90% of each resident class choose to take a research period of some type. Many of our residents are also involved in outcomes research and global health initiatives. Recent elective examples, in addition to traditional bench and outcomes-related research, include:

• A clinical fellowship in surgical critical care
• A Master of Public Health degree
• A fellowship in surgical education
• A global surgery elective or fellowship

Since 1994, Mass General has been awarded the most research funding of any independent hospital by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the fiscal year 2022, we had $57.2M in research expenditures, $22.4M in NIH-sponsored research, 83,000 square feet of research space, 74 NIH awards, 123 sponsored projects and clinical trials, and 304 grant applications submitted.

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Most residents live within walking distance of MGH, either in Beacon Hill or the West End neighborhoods. Within the immediate walking radius of MGH, rents tend to be higher (approximately $2,200-3,200 per month for a studio or one-bedroom), but you are in a terrific location. Beacon Hill tends to feel more charming and removed from the hospital, but the West End gives you a few more amenities and more square feet for your dollar. Some residents choose to live in Back Bay or the North End (which is a little farther away, but still within walking distance). If you don't mind driving or bicycling to work, Cambridge, Charlestown, the South End or Fenway are other good options.

Absolutely. While the cost of living in Boston is higher than many cities, it’s a spectacular city from almost any point of view—whether you are interested in the arts and culture, sports, nature, or shopping. We have one of the highest resident salary scales in the U.S. and a program called the Lease Guarantee Program, which guarantees security deposit and/or last month's rent with certain pre-approved landlords.

Learn more about 2024-25 salaries

In the city, some favorite outdoor things to do everyday include running or biking along the Charles River Esplanade, as well as canoeing, kayaking or sailing on the Charles River. There is also hiking and camping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont in the summer and fall, and snowshoeing/downhill skiing in the winter. A number of great beaches are close by, including those on the North Shore and Cape Cod. Each summer, our program sponsors a BWH residents v. MGH residents softball game at a park in Brookline, and there are group excursions to faculty members’ homes in New Hampshire in the winter, as well as a fishing trip on Cape Cod in the summer. Other social events, ski trips, and cocktail parties take place throughout the year.

Learn more about Boston-area activities

No, but it is recommended. As mentioned above, you will have rotations at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Salem Hospital, Danvers, and Waltham. While there is public transportation to Newton-Wellesley Hospital, it doesn’t run at all hours and there is less convenient public transportation available to Salem Hospital. Residents without cars often carpool or rent a car during these months. There is also an Uber account to use for rides when you are post-call or too sick/tired to drive home.

No. However, as students are increasingly searching for a way to stand out with less objective data, more and more are choosing to do sub-internships here (roughly 40% of our interview invitations this year are for those who did rotations here). A rotation here does not guarantee an interview, however, so students should be strategic about choosing their 4th year rotations. The best reason to do a rotation here is to test whether you like the environment and whether you might be a good fit for the program, and vice versa, but it is certainly not required.

No, however we are looking for the best and brightest applicants from each school. The better you perform—in United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE) scores as well as grades—the better chance you have of being invited to interview. Conversely, those applicants whose scores are below the national averages (of all those pursuing surgery) are less likely to be extended an invitation.

The MGH Surgical Residency Program is committed to maintaining the diversity within our program. We encourage all individuals to apply, especially those who are underrepresented in medicine. We review all applications holistically. The “distance traveled” to get to medical school is given special consideration.

The interview days are carefully planned to make sure you get to learn as much as possible about our program. We also want to have ample time to get to know you. There are three interview days for categorical residents in November, December and January. We interview approximately 15 applicants in the morning and 15 in the afternoon of each day. We start early (7:45 am) and the day typically runs until 5:30 pm in the afternoon.

We’ve made some changes based on feedback from recent interviewees, but an important thing to remember is that the day is long and full because you’ll meet many faculty members and most of the residents throughout the following activities:

• Meeting with Keith Lillemoe, MD, Department Chair
• Meeting with Jonathan Greer, MD, Program Director
• Interview with one of our seven Associate Program Directors
• Interview with one of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee attending surgeons
• Two panel interviews with five to six faculty members and one chief resident
• An information session the evening before your interview day where you will hear an overview of the program from Dr. Greer and attend breakout sessions to discuss various aspect of the program. Topics include: Life as an intern, the senior residents’ perspective, moving to and living in Boston, diversity at Mass General Hospital.
• Research information sessions. In between your interviews, our residents who are doing research will be in a virtual conference room talking about their projects and the elective opportunities available to you. Clinical residents, as available, will also drop into the room to answer questions and share their perspectives on the program.

The panel interview is a long-standing tradition at MGH, but more than that, we feel it is a very effective way to allow a number of faculty to get to meet and know each applicant, and vice versa.

Keep in mind that through the interview process, you are selecting a program where you plan to spend the next five to seven years of your life. That’s a long time! The goal of the interview process should be to find a program where both you and the program feel you are a good “fit”. Questions range from decision making scenarios (clinical or otherwise), asking the applicant details of their research, education, or life experiences, to simple small talk. The purpose is to see what the applicant is like: how you think, what your values are, and how you might fit into the program.