Our surgery residency program

Dear Prospective Applicant,

Welcome to the General Surgery Residency Program at SBH Health System. Choosing a residency is an important step in your professional life. As you explore our program, I invite you to consider both the surgeon you hope to become and the community you hope to serve.

Our program is home to 20 categorical residents and four preliminary residents in the South Bronx, a community rich in cultural traditions, ethnic diversity, and neighborhood pride. Many of our patients face financial hardship and barriers to accessing care. Caring for this community calls for sound surgical judgment, compassion, cultural humility, and an understanding of the circumstances that shape health and recovery.

Our residency reflects the diversity of the community we serve. Our residents bring different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to a shared purpose: caring for patients and growing as surgeons. That diversity strengthens how we learn from one another, communicate with patients and families, and work together.

Our work is grounded in SBH Health System’s mission to improve the community’s health and wellness by providing the highest quality care in a compassionate, comprehensive, and safe environment where the patient always comes first—regardless of ability to pay, race, ethnicity, immigration status, or sexual orientation. For our residency, this mission is a daily responsibility. It guides how we approach a surgical decision, listen to a patient’s concerns, and plan care that patients can realistically continue after leaving the hospital.

As program director, my goal is to prepare surgeons who combine technical skill and clinical judgment with integrity, accountability, and respect. Surgical training requires dedication, curiosity, and a willingness to learn from both success and difficulty. It also requires recognizing when to ask for help, communicating clearly, and treating every member of the care team as a valued partner.

We welcome applicants who are eager to learn, committed to teamwork, and motivated to serve a diverse community. If you share these values, I encourage you to explore our program and learn more about the people who make SBH a meaningful place to train.

Thank you for considering SBH Health System for your general surgery residency. I look forward to meeting you and learning about the experiences and aspirations you would bring to our program.

Sincerely,

Bert M. Petersen, Jr., MD

Program Director, General Surgery Residency

SBH Health System

The five-year Surgery Residency Program at SBH is ACGME-accredited and focused on teaching:

• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Medical knowledge
• Patient care
• Practice-based learning and improvement
• Professionalism
• Systems-based practice

The primary purpose of our program is to provide advanced and concentrated training in general surgery to foster the critical thinking of our residents and medical students, empowering them with the attitudes, skills and knowledge they need to efficiently and compassionately provide quality surgical care.

As a resident, you work in the operating room during your first year. You also handle OB-GYN cases. In addition, because of our program size, you have ready access to attendings and faculty members.

We accept four surgical PGY 1 interns, as well as 16 residents for PGY 2 through PGY 5 positions, each year. We also accept two preliminary residents in PGY 1 and two preliminary residents in PGY 2.

The Surgery Residency Program is an integral part of the SBH Department of Surgery. It serves as a critical pipeline for developing the next generation of leaders — leaders trained to care for diverse populations with expertise and cultural humility.