Welcome!

The UC Irvine Department of Surgery emphasizes six competence areas identified by the ACGME for organization of educational objectives and assessment methods:

1. Patient care that is compassionate, appropriate and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health.
2. Medical knowledge about established and evolving surgical sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care.
3. Practice-based learning and improvement that involves the investigation and evaluation of care for patients.
4. Interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families and other health professionals.
5. Professionalism, as manifested in a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adhering to ethical principles and demonstrating sensitivity to patients of diverse backgrounds.
6. Systems-based practice, as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of healthcare, as well as the ability to draw effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care.

For further eligibility requirements and resident information, please visit our Graduate Medical Education site. 

In 2006, UC Irvine became one of the first educational institutions in the United States to be accredited by the American College of Surgeons for simulation training. As a Level I accredited state-of the art simulation center, UC Irvine offers residents the means to learn novel techniques to supplement their curriculum in both open and minimally invasive surgery.

At UC Irvine, residents receive exposure to all core components of surgery, as well as specialized training in surgical oncology, vascular surgery, minimally invasive surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, colon and rectal surgery, trauma and acute surgery, and transplantation.

Aside from didactics, residents are exposed to a wide variety of knowledge and skill building activities such as labs, FLS, oral board practice, pre-op rounds,  professionalism and practice lectures and journal club.

Additionally, our Associate and Assistant Program Directors, Dr. Maki Yamamoto  and Dr. Matthew Whealon have dedicated their roles to furthering education, research, and wellness within the program. 

The UC Irvine, School of Medicine mission: Discover. Teach. Heal
Learn more about how the  UC Irvine Medical Center is living its mission through the  UCI Irvine Health Magazine and Helping You Live Well .

UC Irvine Medical Center

UC Irvine Medical Center is an academic medical center and principal clinical facility for the School of Medicine’s teaching and research programs. The following services are provided: medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, family medicine, pathology, radiology, ophthalmology, neurology, anesthesiology, and pain management and rehabilitation. The medical center has cardiac, neonatal, respiratory, burn, and medical-surgical intensive care units. It is the designated countywide Level I tertiary trauma referral center.

• 424 bed tertiary referral center
• ACS Level I Trauma Center & Burn Center
• Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center (CDDC)
• Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care Center (C4)
• Aesthetic Institute and Beckman Laser Institute 
• ACS Certified Surgical Skills Training Center
• Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Skills Test Center (FLS)

The UC Irvine Medical Center is located in the city of Orange and the university itself is nestled in Irvine (15 minutes away). 

Affiliate Teaching Hospitals
As part of our philosophy of training, UCI surgical residency includes exposure to all practice types (Academic, private practice, VA, multispecialty HMO) with the below training sites. 

• Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach (Integrated Site)
• Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
• Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)
• Mission Hospital

Resident applications are accepted entirely through ERAS and determined via the NRMP process.
No phone calls please.

Matching applicants will begin their residency the following June.

Requirements for application:

• ERAS Application
• 3 Letters of recommendation
• MSPE (Dean’s Letter)
• Grades/transcripts
• USMLE/COMLEX transcripts
• Meet all UCI GME requirements for appointment. Found here
• Applicants from international medical schools must be ECFMG certified at time of application.
  
  

Applications for the 2023-2024 interview season will be reviewed in October for the following interview dates:

November 16, 2023
November 30, 2023
December 7, 2023
December 14, 2023
January 11, 2024

Of note, we will be participating in the Supplemental ERAS application. For more information, please visit the AAMC's site regarding this.
In addition, we invite selected applicants to join our residents in an informal zoom meet and greet on the evening before their scheduled interview. 

All interviews and activities will be conducted virtually. 

For more information, please visit our Graduate Medical Education page. 

Curriculum:

The residency curriculum is a two-year cycle with teaching conferences oriented to the curriculum. It includes standardized readings and a review of surgical text, basic science, surgical decision-making, SCORE, AccessSurgery and the American College of Surgeons’ Surgical Education and Self-Assessment Program. 
 

Residents have a 4-hour protected time block to attend core conferences each Thursday.
Weekly core conferences consist of:

7:00 am to 8:00 am: Morbidity and Mortality Conference (M&M)
8:00 am to 9:00 am: Grand Rounds
9:00 am to 10:00 am: Basic Science/Didactics
10:00 am to 11:00 am: Resident Education (labs, journal club, pre-op rounds, lectures, town hall etc.)

• Core Conferences – Thursday mornings (Didactics/Core Curriculum, Grand Rounds, M&M, Resident Education Hour), 7:00 am to 11:00 am
• Hepatobiliary Tumor Board – First Monday of each month from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
• Transplant Conference (includes journal club) – Fourth Monday of each month from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
• Breast Conference – Second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 12 to 1 pm
• Integrated GI/Med/Surg Conference – 1st Wednesday of each month from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
• Colorectal Conference – Wednesdays, 7:00 am to 8:00 am
• Vascular Conference Weekly – Thursdays, 9:00 am to 10:00 am
• Trauma/Critical Care Conference – Wednesdays, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
• Burn Journal Club, 2nd Tuesday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 pm

With a climate that ranges from 50 to 75 degrees in the winter and 60 to 90 degrees in the summer, and close proximity to the mountains and the ocean, Orange County, California offers a wide variety of activities from skiing and snowboarding to surfing, sailing and other water sports. In fact, swimming, boating, surfing, skin diving and fishing are year-round sports. Orange County boasts expansive parks, scenic hiking, biking and jogging trails as well as public golf courses and tennis courts.

Hard core sports fans will enjoy frequent professional sporting events, including Angels’ baseball, the Anaheim Ducks for hockey and horseracing at the Santa Anita and Del Mar tracks.

Orange County is home to the nationally renowned South Coast Repertory, the Discovery Science Center, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, art museums, Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, as well as numerous performance and sports venues.

Visitors to nearby Los Angeles will find some of the best entertainment facilities in the country including:  the Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, the Geffen Playhouse, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the Kodak Theater and the Hollywood Bowl. A variety of smaller stage productions are also available in Hollywood and the nearby Melrose Avenue district. Extensive art collections are on view at the Los Angeles County, Norton Simon and Getty art museums, as well as at the Huntington Library, which is home to a world-class arboretum. There are also numerous smaller art galleries throughout the region.

The region’s extensive freeway system makes all of these activities readily accessible. San Diego, with Sea World, the prestigious San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, and the U.S./Mexican border are only a two-hour drive away.

View: Like a Local - Irvine

Ashton Christian, MD
Undergraduate: UCLA
Medical School: UC Irvine, School of Medicine
Future Plans: General Surgery

Morgan Manasa, MD, MPH
Undergraduate: University of Maryland
Graduate: University of Miami
Medical School: University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
Future Plans: Advanced GI/MIS Fellowship at UCSF

Wendy Rockne, MD - Education Chief Resident
Undergraduate: Utah Valley University
Medical School: University of Utah, School of Medicine
Future Plans: Surgical Critical Care/Trauma Fellowship

Perisa Ruhi-Williams, MD
Undergraduate: University of Virginia
Medical School: Virginia Tech Carilion, School of Medicine
Future Plans: Advanced GI/MIS Fellowship at Stanford

Brittany Sullivan, MD – Education Chief Resident
Undergraduate: Seattle University
Medical School: University of Arizona, College of Medicine at Phoenix
Future Plans: Complex General Surgical Oncology at Duke

Christina Tse, MD – Administrative Chief Resident
Undergraduate: UCLA
Medical School: UC Irvine, School of Medicine
Future Plans: General Surgery

"There is so much support from the level of the attending physicians, to my co-residents, to the mid-level practitioners. I feel incredibly fortunate to be at UC Irvine and I couldn't imagine doing residency anywhere else."

"The best part of the program so far has been the people. My co-residents are easy to get along with, I feel comfortable discussing cases with my seniors and even the attendings. We get exposure to a lot of cases and as interns have a decent amount of time in the OR. The stereotypical surgical program (hierarchical in nature) does not exist here for the most part. You are among colleagues who will listen to you and help you improve on a daily basis."

"I was first interested in UCI Surgery because it is an academic center with a diverse patient population, a moderate sized residency class and is in a great location.  After working here for 3 years, I now know that the best part of UCI is the people.  The residents, attendings, students and staff truly work as a team.  We help each other, teach each other and support each other.  This is unique and not something that can be found in most surgical residencies.  The training is also excellent because we work at a University Center, VA, Kaiser and a private practice hospital."

"UCI surgery is different because it is not a program --it is a family. I first realized this as a Sub-I, and it becomes more solidified every day. An as a family, we want everyone to excel, we expect the best from each other, and we are always there for each other."

"The most important part of our program is the diversity that it provides its resident. We are a university program that experiences opportunities at multitude of different community programs. Our operating experience is diverse and extensive. We have the opportunity to operate with the world experts, and at the same time be able to experience the community, private surgeon’s point of view."

Department of Surgery -  Alumni

                                        

Our graduates have forged different paths based on their surgical passions. Some have pursued subspeciality fellowships in academic institutions while others have moved towards private, group or HMO practice organizations. 

Below is a list of recent graduates and their post-graduate destinations:

For surgery anteater news and updates, please visit our social media pages:

Twitter @UCIrvineSurgery
Instagram @ucisurgery
Facebook @ucisurgery

General Surgery Residency Program

University of California, Irvine
3800 Chapman Ave, Ste 6200 | Orange, CA 92868

UC Irvine Health: ucirvinehealth.org   
University of California, Irvine: uci.edu

Alexandra Leone
Residency Coordinator
aleone1@hs.uci.edu

Nicole Yonaki
Asst. Residency Coordinator
kyonaki@hs.uci.edu 

Tania Pettitt
Director, Surgical Education
tsaba@hs.uci.edu