Our Surgical Residency for Physician Assistants Program
Our Program
Bassett Healthcare Network’s Surgical Residency for Physician Assistants was developed in 2005 by surgical physician assistants in multiple subspecialties to train physician assistants in surgery to have a well-rounded background in general and specialty areas of surgery.
Bassett Healthcare Network is a regional network of four affiliate hospitals and 28 community health centers serving an eight-county region in Central New York. The Surgical Residency for Physician Assistants is run by physician assistants and attending surgeons at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, NY. Bassett Medical Center is a 180-bed acute care and inpatient teaching facility that offers General Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Transitional Year residency programs. Physician Assistant residents are primarily trained at the main campus in Cooperstown, NY, but also have the opportunity for rural clinical experiences at the smaller outreach hospitals in the Network.
Currently, over 20 physician assistants practice within Bassett's Department of Surgery, including all of the subspecialties. The Surgical Post-Graduate Physician Assistant Program is 12-months in duration, with didactic and clinical portions ongoing throughout the year.
Core rotations of the program include:
- General Surgery – Inpatient
- General Surgery – Outpatient
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Cardiac Surgery
- Urology
- Neurosurgery
- Plastic Surgery
- Gynecology
- Otolaryngology
- Anesthesia
There are also 8 weeks of dedicated elective time where the Physician Assistant resident can choose two areas for more intensive surgical training. Residents typically work 50 hours per week, and participate in two nights of hospital-based call per month.
Physician Assistant residents are invited to attend:
- Grand Rounds
- Weekly resident didactic teaching sessions
- Surgical Quality Conferences
- Trauma Conferences
- ATLS course
- Robotic surgery simulation / training
Cooperstown is the home of the beautiful Otsego Lake and Glimmerglass State Park and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The surrounding countryside offers unlimited opportunity for biking, hiking and backpacking, picnics, boating, fishing, swimming, golf, and much more. The community’s Clark Sports Center offers state-of-the-art recreational and fitness facilities.
One or two Physician Assistants are selected each year for our Surgical Residency Program. We aim to accept individuals seeking a career in surgery.
Applications
- Completed applications should include: 3 references, a CV, a personal statement, official transcripts from undergraduate and Physician Assistant programs
- An in-person interview is required
- Acceptance is on a rolling basis and is contingent on NYS license and board certification
Entry Requirements
- By the time of matriculation, applicants must be graduates of an ARC-PA approved program, NCCPA board-certified, and licensed in New York State
Salary
- $74,000 annually
Benefits
- 3 weeks paid vacation, 5 days of continuing medical education time with a CME allowance
- Physician assistants are eligible for Bassett Healthcare Network’s benefits plan
- Financial support to attend national physician assistant conference(s)
- 6 calendar holidays
- Library services
Housing
- Assistance finding local housing is available
