Required for the VSI intern during the PGY1 year, this conference is designed to support preparation for the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE). Because vascular interns complete both the ABSITE and VSITE during their intern year, participation provides a strong foundation in core general surgery knowledge.

The conference utilizes a flipped-classroom educational model in which residents are assigned weekly modules from the Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE) curriculum. Each session begins with a brief quiz, followed by faculty-led review and discussion. Faculty content experts incorporate interactive case-based scenarios to reinforce key concepts, promote clinical reasoning, and facilitate application of foundational surgical principles.

The Vascular Senior Conference is designed to prepare senior residents for the American Board of Surgery Vascular Surgery Certifying Examination (Oral Boards). This faculty-led conference emphasizes the development of clinical judgment, decision-making, and effective communication skills required for success in the oral examination setting and independent vascular surgery practice.

Sessions utilize a mock oral examination format, with faculty presenting clinical scenarios that require residents to formulate diagnostic and management strategies in real time. Weekly discussions are structured around selected Vascular Surgery Curriculum Outline and Resource Education (VSCORE) modules, providing a comprehensive review of key vascular surgery topics while reinforcing evidence-based practice and board-relevant content. Through interactive questioning and case-based discussion, residents gain experience in articulating their clinical reasoning and management approach in a high-stakes examination environment.

Residents, fellows, faculty, and medical students participate in a collaborative case-based conference focused on the evaluation and management of vascular surgery patients across clinical practice sites. Upcoming operative cases and current inpatient cases are reviewed to discuss indications for intervention, operative planning, perioperative management, and expected outcomes.

The conference also features the presentation of complex vascular cases led by fellows, fostering interactive discussion among learners at all levels of training. Faculty guide participants through diagnostic considerations, treatment options, technical decision-making, and evidence-based management strategies. Through multidisciplinary dialogue and case review, the conference promotes clinical reasoning, enhances operative preparedness, and reinforces core principles of vascular surgery.

Surgical Audit is a quality improvement and patient safety conference focused on the critical review of selected surgical cases and relevant literature. The conference provides an opportunity to examine clinical decision-making, operative management, outcomes, and complications in a structured educational setting.

Residents selected to present cases work closely with faculty mentors to develop their presentations, perform a focused literature review, and identify evidence-based opportunities to improve patient care. Through thoughtful case analysis and discussion, participants gain a deeper understanding of best practices, systems-based improvement, and strategies to enhance patient outcomes while reducing complications.

Department of Surgery Grand Rounds provides residents, fellows, faculty, and other healthcare professionals with opportunities to remain current on advances in surgical education, clinical practice, research, and healthcare innovation. As the field of surgery continues to evolve rapidly, this conference promotes lifelong learning and the integration of emerging knowledge into patient care.

The conference features presentations by distinguished visiting professors, nationally recognized experts, and local faculty members who share contemporary research, innovative techniques, evolving standards of care, and topics of broad interest to the surgical community. Through lectures, case-based discussions, and scholarly exchange, participants gain exposure to diverse perspectives that enhance clinical excellence, academic development, and professional growth.

Resident and fellow participation is an important component of the conference. PGY4 residents present an Ethics Grand Rounds lecture, exploring ethical issues relevant to surgical practice and patient care. PGY5 residents and vascular surgery fellows deliver Chief Grand Rounds presentations, providing an opportunity to showcase their clinical expertise, scholarly interests, and professional development while contributing to the educational mission of the department.

Simulation and cadaver laboratory sessions are conducted throughout the academic year to provide residents with hands-on training in both open and endovascular vascular surgery techniques. These sessions supplement clinical experience by allowing residents to develop technical skills in a structured educational environment under the guidance of vascular surgery faculty and industry partners.

The curriculum includes simulation-based training in peripheral arterial disease interventions, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), laser atherectomy, thrombectomy, arterial access techniques, closure devices, venous interventions, endovenous ablation, and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Residents gain experience with wire and catheter manipulation, ultrasound-guided access, lesion crossing, angioplasty, stent deployment, and the use of advanced endovascular technologies.

Cadaver laboratory sessions provide immersive exposure to vascular anatomy and open surgical techniques, including extremity, carotid, abdominal, thoracic outlet, and aortic exposures. Residents practice vascular anastomoses, bypass procedures, carotid endarterectomy, visceral vessel exposure, and complex operative approaches that may be encountered in vascular surgery practice. These experiences enhance anatomical understanding, operative confidence, and technical proficiency while reinforcing principles discussed in the clinical and didactic curriculum.

Through progressive simulation and procedural training, residents develop the technical skills, clinical judgment, and procedural readiness necessary for safe and effective vascular surgery practice.

The VSITE Preparation Review Conference is designed to provide residents with a structured review of core vascular surgery concepts and to support preparation for the Vascular Surgery In-Training Examination (VSITE). Through comprehensive topic review and discussion, residents strengthen their foundational knowledge while identifying areas for continued study and improvement.

Conference content is organized around established vascular surgery educational resources, including the Vascular Surgery Curriculum Outline and Resource Education (VSCORE) curriculum and the Vascular Education and Self-Assessment Program (VESAP). The specific curriculum utilized may vary from year to year based on program priorities and educational objectives. Faculty-led discussions focus on high-yield vascular surgery topics, evidence-based management strategies, and board-relevant content, helping residents develop the knowledge base and clinical reasoning skills necessary for success on the VSITE and future board certification examinations.

The Vascular Surgery Junior Resident Conference is designed to provide junior residents with a strong foundation in the principles and practice of vascular surgery. Topics are selected by the Program Director and focus on essential concepts appropriate for the learner's stage of training.

Each session centers on a focused review and discussion of a specific vascular surgery topic, including disease processes, diagnostic evaluation, treatment options, perioperative management, and relevant clinical guidelines. The faculty facilitate interactive discussions that encourage resident participation, critical thinking, and the application of evidence-based principles to patient care. Through progressive learning and guided review, the conference helps junior residents develop the knowledge and clinical reasoning skills necessary for success in vascular surgery training and practice.

Vascular Journal Club brings together vascular surgery faculty, residents, fellows, and general surgery residents rotating on the vascular surgery service for an interactive, round-table discussion of contemporary topics in vascular surgery.

Each session focuses on a designated vascular topic selected by the Program Director and incorporates the critical review of current literature, landmark studies, and emerging evidence that influence clinical practice. Participants are encouraged to engage in thoughtful discussion regarding study design, methodology, outcomes, and the application of research findings to patient care. This collaborative forum promotes lifelong learning, evidence-based decision-making, and a deeper understanding of the evolving vascular surgery literature.