Residency Readiness Course

Prepare for residency with confidence.

Open to those expected to graduate in 2027, this experience helps you build the clinical confidence, technical skills, and professional readiness to start intern year strong. Join us for a three-day, in-person course designed for medical students pursuing residency across all surgical specialties.

This course will combine hands-on skills training with focused sessions centered on preparing for the professional and clinical expectations of residency.

What to Expect

Interactive, hands-on skills practice in a supportive learning environment designed to strengthen technical ability, reinforce core fundamentals, and build confidence before residency begins.
Example call scenarios that review how to approach challenging clinical issues, how to handle and approach basic postoperative care, and how to recognize when additional support is needed and obtain it.
Focused guidance on the transition from student to resident, exploring expectations, evolving responsibilities, and practical strategies for starting strong in a new clinical role.

Contact

If you have questions about this course, please email Cassie Buchignani, MS, PMP, Program Administrator at cbuchignani@facs.org or Michelle Armstrong, MAEd, MA, Senior Manager at marmstrong@facs.org.

Who Should Attend?

Medical students expected to graduate in 2027 who are pursuing residency across all surgical specialties and want to enter their PGY-1 year with greater confidence and preparation.

Location and Schedule

The course will be held at ACS Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. The course will begin on June 7 and conclude on June 9.

More information, including the full agenda and details, will be announced soon.

Registration Cancelation/Substitution

Requests for cancelations and refunds must be made in writing and received on or before June 1, 2027. There is a $50 handling fee for ALL refunds and returned checks. Cancelations and registrations postmarked after the deadline date will not be eligible for refunds. Please note that substitutions from one registrant to another are not permitted.

Hotel Accommodations

Hotel information coming soon.

Course Faculty

Course Chair

Jeremy Lipman, MD, MHPE, FACS, FASCRS, MAMSE

Chair, ACS Committee on Medical Student Education

Dr. Jeremy Lipman is a professor of surgery and associate dean for graduate medical education at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. He serves as the Designated Institutional Official and Director of Graduate Medical Education at Cleveland Clinic where he is a staff colorectal surgeon.

Adam Kabaker, MD, FACS

Chair, ACS/APDS/ASE Resident Prep Curriculum

Dr. Adam Kabaker is a Professor of Surgery and Assistant Dean for Clinical Development at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. His clinical practice focuses on endocrine surgery in the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center.

James Lau, MD, MHPE, FACS, MAMSE

Vice Chair, ACS Committee on Medical Student Education

Dr. James Lau is currently the Professor and Chair for the Department of Surgery at the University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine. He is a minimally invasive, general, and trauma surgeon at University Health Kansas City. Dr. Lau has dedicated his professional life to undergraduate and graduate medical education through various educational leadership roles at the institutions for which he has worked.

Rebecca Williams, MD, PhD, MEd Psych

Chair, ACS Committee on Resident Education

Dr. Rebecca Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and serves as Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency. Her clinical practice focuses on endocrine and general surgery. Her academic interests include surgical education and the learning environment, with a focus on preparing trainees for the transition to residency.

Staff Consultants

Kyla P. Terhune, MD, MBA, FACS

Senior Vice President, Division of Education

Patrice Gabler Blair, DrPH, MPH

Associate Vice President, Division of Education

Cassie Buchignani, MS, PMP

Senior Program Administrator, Medical Student Education

Michelle R. Armstrong, MAEd, MA

Senior Manager, Programs to Enhance Resident and Medical Student Education

Josh Vognsen, MSHS, CHSOS

Senior Manager, Surgical Simulation and Operative Innovation