Penn General Surgery Surgeon-Scientist Training Pathway
The Pathway
The Penn Surgeon-Scientist Training Pathway (SSTP) prepares residents for whom scientific investigation will form the cornerstone of an academic surgical career. The program provides a structured, deeply resourced, longitudinal training experience in which clinical excellence and scientific independence develop together.
The SSTP is a distinct track within Penn General Surgery with its own NRMP match code and one new resident each year. It is part of the national ACS/BRC II SSTP pilot launching with the 2026-2027 Match cycle.
Why Penn
The Penn SSTP draws on one of the most robust physician-scientist training ecosystems in academic medicine. SSTP residents work across the Perelman School of Medicine, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Wharton School, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center. The full spectrum of investigation is open to SSTP residents, including basic science, translational research, data science and genomics, and health services research.
SSTP residents join an established Penn physician-scientist community alongside trainees from Internal Medicine, Pathology, Psychiatry, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, and the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT). Surgery joins this community through the SSTP, with coordinated participation in school-wide programming.
The Seven-Year Pathway
The Penn SSTP follows the national ACS SSTP framework of seven years of integrated clinical and research training, organized into three phases.
Early Clinical Training (PGY1-3)
SSTP residents complete standard General Surgery training with intentional structure around the early identification of a research mentor and a smooth transition into the academic development years. Diverse clinical rotations expose residents to potential clinical mentors within the department and are orchestrated to allow residents time to meet with scientific mentors across Penn and shape their research direction.
By the middle of postgraduate year 2, it is expected that residents have identified a laboratory mentor and constituted a scientific advisory committee. The schedule is designed to provide time to facilitate development and submission of an F32 application along with applications for society and foundation awards. The grant development process is itself a formative scientific and professional experience.
Dedicated Research (PGY4-5+)
During the dedicated research years, residents transition to full-time investigation while remaining engaged in the academic life of the department. Residents may pursue an advanced degree if it fits their training trajectory, including a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology, a Master of Science in Translational Research, a Master of Science in Health Policy, or a PhD through one of the Penn graduate schools.
The SSTP residents serve as the administrative research residents for the General Surgery program throughout the dedicated research years. In this role, residents organize conferences and educational activities, gaining intentional exposure to the administrative dimensions of an academic surgical career. They are also invited to participate in the Department’s Junior Faculty Research Seminar series, providing early integration into the scholarly culture of the department.
Beyond the department, residents engage with the broader Penn physician-scientist community. Through the Penn Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, residents join the ASCEnD program, a two-year curriculum on research team management, scientific communication, scientific identity, and leadership. Residents also participate in the Penn Physician-Scientist Pathway programming and the annual physician-scientist retreat. The ACS/BRC II pilot includes designated national conferences, and the department adds further meetings aligned with each resident’s specific interests.
Independence Preparation (PGY6-7)
Residents return to the most rigorous phase of clinical training. Department resources are available to help residents sustaining an active research program. The department remains committed to research continuity through this transition, and the scientific advisory committee remains actively engaged.
Mentorship
Structured, longitudinal mentorship is a defining feature of the Penn SSTP. Each resident’s mentorship team is constituted during PGY1 and remains active throughout the full seven years.
Program Mentor. An Associate Program Director whose sole programmatic role is the SSTP. This person provides continuity of scientific guidance, career development, and advocacy across the entire pathway.
Specialty Mentor. A surgical faculty member with relevant clinical and research expertise who bridges the resident’s scientific work and the realities of an academic surgical career.
Laboratory Mentor. The resident’s primary research supervisor, identified by the middle of PGY2. Mentors may be drawn from within the Department of Surgery, from elsewhere in Penn Medicine, or from across the broader Penn campus. Cross-departmental mentorship is actively encouraged.
Scientific Advisory Committee. Includes the resident’s three mentors plus additional members selected for their expertise. The committee meets quarterly, reviews progress annually, and produces a written development plan each year.
Selection
The Penn SSTP is built for residents with exceptional commitment to scientific investigation and the potential to become independent investigators and leaders in surgical science.
Both MD and MD/PhD applicants are welcome. Research experience is evaluated for depth and sustained engagement rather than volume or prestige. Publications are expected but are not a hard requirement; candidates without a publication record must show clear evidence of genuine and sustained scientific commitment. Letters from research mentors carry significant weight.
Candidates should be able to articulate a research interest that is specific and credible. It need not be fully formed. All research domains are welcome.
Candidates must also be competitive General Surgery residency applicants on independent terms. The SSTP is not a route around clinical demands. It is built for residents who intend to be exceptional clinicians and exceptional scientists. The program expects and trains residents for both.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted through the dedicated SSTP NRMP match code (1628440C1) via the Electronic Residency Application Service. It is strongly encouraged that applicants apply to both the SSTP track and the Categorical General Surgery Track (1628440C0).
SSTP candidates receive a dedicated interview day integrated with the General Surgery interview structure.
Contact Information
Contact the Program Coordinator
Dametria Williams at Dametria.williams@pennmedicine.upenn.edu with questions or for additional information