Introduction

The medical specialty of Surgery is frequently defined by our use of manual techniques to cure or treat diseases, repair injuries, or improve overall cosmesis. However, many surgical principles are nontechnical and helpful for physicians of all specialties. This rotation guide is meant to help trainees with the following general surgery core topics:

Overlapping topics related to surgery are covered in the following rotation guides:

Intubation; Premedication, Sedation, and Paralysis for Intubation; Suturing; Procedural Sedation; Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (Emergency Medicine)
Shock and Sepsis, Respiratory Failure and Ventilation, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Resuscitation Fluids and Transfusion, Acid–Base Disturbances, Sedation and ICU Delirium, Nutrition in the ICU (Critical Care)
Pain Management (Palliative Care)
Acute Stroke (Neurology)
Acute or Chronic Heart Failure, Myocardial Ischemia (Cardiology)
Venous Thromboembolism and Anticoagulation (Hematology)
Pneumothorax (Pulmonology)

Roy Phitayakorn, MD, MHPE, FACS, is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School with a practice in general surgery and endocrine surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also the MGH Department of Surgery Director of Medical Student Education and Surgical Education Research and the Co-Director of the American College of Surgeons-accredited MGH Surgery Education Research and Simulation Fellowship program.

This rotation guide was developed by a collaborative team of contributors including:
Writers: Deanna Palenzuela, MD (Preoperative Evaluation); Zachary Whaley, MD (Postoperative Care); Connie Zhou, 2025 UCSF MD candidate (Perioperative Acid–Base Disturbances); Frederick Godley, MD (Fluid and Electrolyte Management); Rebecca Tang, MD (Nutritional Support in Surgical Patients); Madhuri Nagaraj, MD (Perioperative Infections and Antibiotics); Michael Kochis, MD (Mobilization)
Peer Reviewers: Hayden Andrews, MD; Misha Armstrong, MD; Sneha Bhat-Herbert MD, CNSC, FACS; Riley J. Brian, MD; Taylor Coe, MD; Brandon Coewan, MD; David Cron, MD; Michael DeWane, MD; Frederick A. Godley IV, MD, MBA; Rajesh Gandhi, MD; Sara Hennessy MD, CNSC, FACS; Melanie Hoenig, MD; Esther Kim, MD; Michael Kochis, MD; Yeon Lee, MD; Madhuri Nagaraj, MD; Deanna Palenzuela, MD; Jonathan J. Parks, MD; Alyssa Pradarelli, MD; Rebecca Tang, MD; Jane Wang, MD; Zac Whaley, MD
Section Expert: Roy Phitayakorn, MD, MHPE, FACS
Senior Editor: Ole-Petter Hamnvik, MB BCh, BAO, MMSc
Last Updated: March 2024