Brown Surgery Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Evan Mitchell (PGY-5 General Surgery Resident) is joined by Dr. Ryan Desrochers (ACS Fellow) to break down the general surgery residency interview trail from start to finish. Geared specifically toward 4th year medical students preparing for the upcoming season, they demystify the process and share practical strategies for managing anxiety, schedules, and expectations. Key topics covered include:Logistics & Scheduling: How uniform release dates work, navigating Thalamus and virtual versus in-person formats, handling time zone differences, and why you should avoid double-stacking interview days. Pre-Interview Preparation: Researching programs, anticipating behavioral interview questions, framing complicated patient cases, and aligning your goals with program culture. The Social & Interview Day: What residents actually evaluate during pre-interview socials, handling applicant-driven Q&A sessions, and structuring real-time notes. Post-Interview Decisions: Etiquette around post-interview communication, second looks, building your rank list, and knowing when not to rank a program.

Join host Dr. Daniel Beltre, MD, a Chief resident in the Brown General Surgery training program who recently matched into an independent plastic surgery program, alongside co-host and current ACS fellow Dr. Ryan Durocher, MD, as they explore the demanding pathway from general surgery to plastic surgery. Featuring board-certified plastic surgeons and microsurgeons Dr. Amy Maselli, MD and Dr. Reena Bhatt, MD this episode provides an essential roadmap for residents aiming to navigate this highly competitive transition. The panel delves into the strategic timeline for independent applicants, emphasizing the importance of declaring interest as early as the PGY-1 year to build necessary connections and establish mentorships. The guests discuss how to balance heavy clinical workloads, highlighting that becoming an excellent general surgery resident and mastering foundational skills like critical care and tissue handling is actually the most important first step toward plastic surgery success. Moving beyond the operating room, Drs. Maselli and Bhatt break down application essentials, advising candidates to focus on high-quality, specialty-specific research rather than a high volume of generic publications, and noting that a glowing recommendation letter from a close mentor often outweighs a standard letter from a highly recognized name. Finally, the episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the residency interview process, providing actionable advice on how independent applicants can confidently demonstrate their maturity and share their unique personal motivations. Whether you are an intern just discovering your passion for the field or a senior resident gearing up for the match, this discussion delivers an insider’s guide to succeeding in the fast-paced world of academic plastic surgery.

In this episode, host Daniel Beltre, MD, a chief general surgery resident and trauma chief at Brown, sits down with Critical Care Fellow Ryan Desrochers, MD to unpack the complex, often overwhelming world of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). They strip away the rumors and hearsay to give applicants a clear, reassuring breakdown of how the match algorithm actually operates in the applicant's favor. Inside the Episode:The Algorithm Explained: Ryan breaks down a step-by-step hypothetical scenario proving why you should strictly rank programs by your true preference, regardless of "love letters" or perceived competitiveness. The Couples Match Strategy: Ryan shares his personal, stressful, yet ultimately successful experience with the couples match, explaining how to legally advocate for your partner to unlock unexpected interview opportunities. The Evolution of Signaling: A look at how residency application has changed from the post-COVID era of 3 to 4 signals to the modern system of 15 tokens, and why signaling is now critical to securing an interview. Eleventh-Hour Anxiety: Practical advice for the final week before the deadline. Daniel and Ryan discuss how to handle the stress, when to stop flipping programs back and forth on your list, and why trusting the "vibe" and connection you felt with residents matters more than objective stats.

In this episode, host Evan Mitchell, MD sits down with co-residents Kelsey Muir, MD and Jaewook Shin, MD pull back the curtain on the mandatory research years at the Brown General Surgery Residency program. They dive deep into the jarring transition from the high-velocity, 80-hour clinical marathon of PGY-2 year to the completely unstructured autonomy of the lab. Inside the Episode:The Labs: Kelsey discusses her work with surgical swine models studying ischemic heart disease in Dr. Selke’s cardiac lab, while Jay shares his experience pioneering computational biology and RNA sequencing in Dr. Monaghan's trauma/sepsis lab. The Transition Shock: What it feels like when your body is conditioned to round at 5:00 AM, but suddenly you are entirely responsible for making your own schedule. The PI Relationship: Learning to navigate the "surgery-style" mentorship—being thrown into the ocean to build independence, with a mentor ready to throw a life vest when needed. The Return to Form: An honest look at the fear of "clinical rust," why the mental fortitude built in the first two years never actually leaves you, and the reality of watching your peers move ahead while you step away. Words of Wisdom: Why the lab years are a crucial window to reprioritize family and faith, focus on the process over the product, and reconnect with why you chose surgery in the first place. Dr Muir's publications can be found HERE

In the second installment of this two-part series, the Brown Surgery podcast continues its discussion with Dr. Manuel Portalatin, DO to discuss the definitive inpatient management of severe burn injuries. Dr. Portalatin breaks down the modern nuances of fluid resuscitation algorithms, explaining how teams balance the Parkland formula against the dangers of over-resuscitation, and how hourly urine output serves as the primary metric for titration. We also dive into the critical timing of nutrition, the physiological impact of "rescue albumin" on the endothelial glycocalyx, and the surgical nuances of excision and grafting. From traditional topicals to advanced dermal templates like BTM and emerging enzymatic debridement technologies like Nexobrid, this episode provides a comprehensive guide to long-term scar mitigation, contracture management, and laser modalities.

As the academic year turns over, the Brown Surgery Podcast sits down with rising PGY-2 Charlotte Jackson,MD and rising PGY-3 Madison Camarlinghi, MD to discuss how to successfully navigate the challenges of intern year. From mastering early morning chart checks in Epic and efficiently triaging daily floor tasks to managing the constant stream of secure chats, our guests share their practical strategies for clinical excellence.The conversation also covers the art of trimming down consult presentations for senior residents, managing the anxiety of cross-cover on night float, and knowing exactly when to escalate clinical changes like tachycardia. Finally, Charlotte and Madison open up about maintaining an identity outside of the hospital—balancing ABSITE prep, family, and personal well-being—and offer their top pieces of advice for the incoming intern class

In part one of this two-part series, the Brown Surgery podcast welcomes back Dr. Manuel Portalatin, DO, one of our Trauma/Surgical Critical Care and Burn attendings at Brown University Health. We dive deep into the initial evaluation of burn patients in the emergency department, discussing the shift from numerical degree classifications to thickness nomenclature. Dr. Portalatin breaks down the clinical importance of depth assessment for skin grafting, the nuances of burn shock pathophysiology, and critical triage protocols—including how to identify, grade, and manage inhalation injuries, carbon monoxide exposure, and cyanide toxicity before transfer to a specialized burn center.

What sets the general surgery training program at Brown University apart? In the final installment of our three-part series, we sit down with Residency Program Director Dr. Thomas Miner to break down the clinical, academic, and cultural blueprint of the program. In today's episode, Dr. Miner explains how Brown's unique position as the only major academic medical center in Rhode Island gives residents massive case volumes—graduating with around 1,400 cases—and unparalleled, one-on-one operating time without competing with fellows. We also dive into the program's unique global health electives in Kenya and the Virgin Islands , a research environment that boasts more projects than residents , and how Brown defines professional wellness as a baseline culture rather than just a checklist of perks. If you want to know what it truly means to be a "Brown Surgeon," this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode, Dr. Thomas Miner, MD pulls back the curtain on what he’s really looking for during those crucial 20 minute interview sessions. We discuss the shift to virtual interviews, how to truly convey (and assess) program culture through a screen, the pitfalls of over-scripted behavioral questions, and the definitive answer on whether you should send a post-interview thank-you note. Whether you are applying to Brown or navigating the surgical match elsewhere, this episode is packed with invaluable, straight-shooting advice.

What does "holistic review" actually mean in a top-tier surgery program? In Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Thomas Miner, MD, General Surgery Program Director at Brown University Health, we explore the mechanics of the residency selection process. Dr. Miner dispels common "urban legends" about research requirements and explains why high Step 2 scores aren't the primary driver of success in residency. Whether you are a rising 4th year or just starting your medical journey, this episode provides a roadmap for navigating signaling, regional preferences, and the critical importance of a Sub-I performance.