Graduate Medical Education

The National Capital Consortium General Surgery Residency program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is the largest general surgery training program in the military and one of the largest in the nation. Our residency program combines the best of two previous accomplished military surgery residencies – the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and National Naval Medical Center (NNMC). Since 2010, these two programs have been integrated into one residency program for general surgery, providing a challenging and ideal environment for training residents in the art and science of surgery. With nearly 30 faculty members in our Department of Surgery, our residency program is dedicated to providing excellent patient care while also pursuing meaningful clinical and basic science research. At our Walter Reed-Bethesda campus, general surgery attendings and resident trainees alike are fully engaged in caring for our nation’s wounded warriors as well as their families, active duty personnel and their dependents, retirees, and our nation’s leaders.

Our residency program also draws upon outstanding experiences within the region to facilitate the surgical education of trainees. Clinical rotations occur at not only the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, but also at our affiliated sites such as the new Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, Washington Hospital Center, Children’s National Medical Center, Suburban Hospital, and INOVA-Fairfax Hospital. Our residents receive a well-rounded experience throughout their six years in the program, and all residents are granted a dedicated 12 months of research upon completion of the PGY3 year.

The PGY1 year (internship) is populated by up to 16 interns (8 from both Army and Navy). Starting in the PGY2 year, there are 7 residents per year (4 Army, 3 Navy). Our graduates go on to military assignments worldwide; depending on service, new graduates may serve as general surgeons in U.S. military hospitals overseas, on Navy ships, and on deployment to Afghanistan or other locales. Many graduates decide to pursue fellowships in surgery after an operational tour, an opportunity available to obtain subspecialty training.

Specialty service sections in our Department of Surgery include:

• Advanced Laparoscopy
• Bariatric Surgery
• Breast Surgery
• Colon & Rectal Surgery
• Endocrine Surgery
• General Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Trauma Surgery & Critical Care