Welcome to the General Surgery Residency Program at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
It is a privilege to lead the program that shaped me as a surgeon. I trained here as a general surgery resident and vascular surgery fellow, remained at Weill Cornell as a faculty member, and have devoted much of my career to surgical education. Through each of these roles, I have seen that its excellence rests not only on exceptional clinical training, but also on a culture of generous teaching, mutual support, and shared commitment to patients.
Our mission is to develop outstanding surgeons who combine technical skill with sound judgment, compassion, integrity, and leadership. Residency is a formative period in which surgeons learn to make thoughtful decisions under pressure, guide patients and families through difficult moments, lead multidisciplinary teams, and take responsibility for every aspect of a patient’s care. Our graduates are prepared for the demands of surgical practice and grounded in values that will guide them throughout their careers.
The breadth of training at Weill Cornell Medicine is truly distinctive. Residents rotate through NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Together, these institutions provide remarkable exposure to tertiary and quaternary care, surgical oncology, trauma, acute care surgery, and the diverse communities of New York City. Each setting offers different challenges and perspectives, but the central lesson remains constant: every patient deserves thoughtful, individualized, and compassionate surgical care.
Our faculty set high expectations while serving as teachers, coaches, advocates, and role models. We believe autonomy should be progressive, purposeful, and supported by thoughtful supervision and candid feedback. As residents advance, they assume increasing responsibility for clinical decision-making, operative strategy, patient care, and team leadership. By graduation, they possess not only technical confidence, but also the judgment, humility, and composure required to practice independently.
Just as important is the community in which that growth occurs. Surgical training is demanding and requires discipline, resilience, and accountability. It should also take place in an environment where residents are respected, questions are welcomed, and feedback is honest and constructive. Our residents learn from one another, celebrate one another’s accomplishments, and bring different experiences and perspectives to the care of our patients. They are the heart of this program and the clearest reflection of its values.
Weill Cornell also offers exceptional opportunities for scholarship and professional development. Whether their interests lie in science, clinical outcomes, quality improvement, education, health services research, or leadership, we help residents find mentors and pursue meaningful work. Our goal is not to create a single type of surgeon, but to help every resident build a fulfilling career shaped by individual interests, talents, and purpose.
As Program Director, I am committed to making expectations clear, mentorship accessible, feedback meaningful, and resident voices central to our continued growth. We are proud of our history but equally committed to evolving and improving.
I invite you to explore our program and, most importantly, to get to know our residents and faculty. Success is measured not simply by where our graduates go next, but by the surgeons, colleagues, teachers, and leaders they become. We hope they leave Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian technically outstanding, intellectually curious, committed to lifelong learning, and worthy of the trust placed in them by their patients.
Christopher Agrusa, M.D., FACS, RPVI
