Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University is launching a two-year pilot of a new procedural skills program for surgery-bound fourthyear medical students. Funded by a $500,000 grant from the Benjamin and Mary Siddons Measey Foundation, the program aims to provide comprehensive mentorship and hands-on training for senior medical students who intend to pursue careers in general surgery and integrated surgical specialties.
Established in 1957 by Philadelphia lawyer and philanthropist William Maul Measey, the Measey Foundation supports medical education throughout the Philadelphia region. Every year, the foundation awards up to $3 million in grants for medical school scholarships as well as innovative programs at area medical schools. In addition to directing resources to fellowships for continued medical education, the foundation aims to support groundbreaking educational initiatives like this surgical skills program.
The pilot program will serve approximately 25 medical students applying to general surgery as well as integrated plastics, cardiothoracic, and vascular surgery programs. These integrated residency programs combine both general surgery and subspecialty training into a single, continuous curriculum – preparing surgeons on a condensed timeline.
“Beginning in March of their third year of medical school, participants will be paired with faculty mentors who will guide them through their fourthyear schedule planning and residency applications,” explains Director of Surgical Undergraduate Education Renee M. Tholey, MD, FACS, FASMBS. She is co-leading the pilot with Associate Professor Shruti Chandra, MD, MEHP, who also serves as Director, Phase 3, at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. The curriculum will feature an intensive “boot camp” covering professional development, protocols for letters of recommendation and hands-on training with da Vinci® robotic surgical systems and other simulators. That includes a new laparoscopic simulator that measures metrics and provides detailed feedback – a purchase made possible through the Measey Foundation grant.
“Throughout their fourth year, students will participate in monthly specialized skills sessions,” Dr. Tholey says. “Using video simulation technology that records and evaluates their performance, they’ll explore vascular techniques, small bowel procedures and advanced suturing.”
Faculty mentors include Jaime M. Glorioso, MD, from Transplant Surgery, Tyler Grenda, MD, MS, FACS, from Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery, Michael J. Nooromid, MD, from Vascular Surgery, and Heather McMahon, MD, from Plastic Surgery.
The two-year pilot program is now enrolling students and will begin implementation in the current academic year..
From the Director
Renee M. Tholey, MD, FACS, FASMBS
Associate Professor of Surgery
Director, Surgical Undergraduate Education
“We’ve developed a structured curriculum for this program, with clear direction on what students should do, and when, to build knowledge and skills and strengthen their competitiveness.
“The goal is to enable fourth-year students to go into their intern year and residency better prepared so that, ultimately, they can become better doctors. We’re also hoping that the organized curriculum makes surgery an even more attractive path for the best and brightest students.
“Through the generous support of the Measey Foundation, we believe that Sidney Kimmel Medical College is the first medical school in the country to offer this kind of formal fourth-year longitudinal curriculum.”
Recommended Citation
(2025)
"Intensive ‘Boot Camp’ Prepares Fourth-Year Medical Students for Surgical Residency,"
Jefferson Surgical Solutions: Vol. 21:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
Available at:
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jss/vol21/iss1/1
Tyler Grenda, MD, (seated) demonstrates on a laparoscopic simulator in the Surgical Skills Lab for Undergraduate Education Coordinator Sherry Weitz (left) and Director of Surgical Undergraduate Education Renee Tholey, MD.