Residency in General Surgery

NUSOM’s General Surgery Residency is a five-year program designed to train doctors of medicine in general surgery by focusing the program on basic and clinical research that enhances patient care expertise and surgical practice.

The primary objective of the General Surgery Residency Training Program is to produce a polyvalent general surgeon well versed in all aspects of general surgery, with a good grounding in basic and clinical research. Our graduates will be able to practice with confidence in either community hospitals or as a clinical faculty in academic medical centers or university teaching hospitals.

Apply now

General information

Campus: Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, NUSOM building, hospitals

Language: English, Kazakh, Russian

Delivery mode: Full time

Duration: 5 years

The clinical assignments are carefully structured to ensure that graded levels of responsibility, continuity in patient care, a balance between education and service, and progressive clinical experiences are achieved for each resident.

The five-year curriculum provides cognitive, psychomotor, and specific objectives and competencies for general surgery training and offers residents with the opportunities to acquire a broad understanding of general surgical principles and foster appropriate technical skills.

Career: Residency graduates continue working as physicians.

How to apply

STEP 1. Create your personal account

Register on www.admissions.nu.edu.kz portal to create a Personal Account. Read the instructions about the application procedure given in your Personal account.

STEP 2. Complete your Application Form and attach the required documents

Fill out the application form and attach the required documents:

Scanned copy of a National ID card or passport;
Scanned copy of secondary school or higher education institution certificate (attestat/diploma) with final academic performance or certificate from the school (spravka) according to the sample in the personal account;
Motivation letter in English;
Valid copies of certificates. The results of standardized tests must be sent directly to the University through test administrators.

STEP 3. Pay an application fee

The application fee is paid online via your personal account with a bank card.

The amount to pay is 5 000 tenge. All application fees are non-refundable.

Step 4. Finish the registration process

Finish the registration process by pressing the “Submit application” button. After submission applicants can’t change their applications.

Step 5. Upload IELTS/TOEFL certificates

Upload IELTS/TOEFL certificates in your personal account in the section "Upload IELTS/TOEFL" and fill up the required information about the certificate.

Further steps

Check your e-mail for notifications from the NU Admissions Department and your personal account to learn about your application status.

If you experience any difficulties with the registration or online application, please contact info_admissions@nu.edu.kz. Refer to your IIN and/or Applicant ID while sending us your requests.

Entry requirements

Applicants applying to the Program for unconditional admission are expected to have:

MD or an equivalent terminal medical degree (highest level medical qualification which provides the eligibility to obtain registration or certification to practice as an independent practitioner in the country), obtained in a recognized university according to the World Directory of Medical Schools. During the application period, final year students may submit official current transcripts for consideration. Applicants recommended for admission must provide final transcript and diploma before the end of the Program’s enrollment term. Graduates of the University are enrolled based on the evidence of the final transcript confirming the degree completion followed by diploma submission within a month;
An overall IELTS test score of 7.0 or higher (with no sub-score less than 6.0 in each section), or the equivalent TOEFL score as posted on the ETS website;
IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) or USMLE Step1 test report;
high level of motivation and a strong interest in the Program outlined in the personal statement;
2 (two) confidential letters of recommendation.

The relevance of the academic and experiential background and the equivalency and appropriateness of earlier degrees will be determined by the Admissions Committee.

Applicants to the Program, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction and daily life;
MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English;
the applicant is a graduate of Nazarbayev University.

The NUSOM Admissions Committee will consider candidates recommended for admission by University Medical Center (UMC) Residency Admission Committee but the ultimate decision to admit these candidates is made by the NUSOM Admissions Committee.

Applicants applying to the Program for conditional admission are expected to have:

MD or an equivalent terminal medical degree (highest level medical qualification which provides the eligibility to obtain registration or certification to practice as an independent practitioner in the country), obtained in a recognized university according to the World Directory of Medical Schools. During the application period, final year students may submit official current transcripts for consideration. Applicants recommended for admission must provide final transcript and diploma before the end of the Program’s enrollment term. Graduates of the University are enrolled based on the evidence of the final transcript confirming the degree completion followed by diploma submission within a month;
high level of motivation and a strong interest in the Program outlined in the personal statement;
2 (two) confidential letters of recommendation;
Recommendation letter from University Medical Center (UMC).

The following conditions will apply to applicants admitted under Conditional Admission first year of enrollment:

Provide IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) or USMLE Step1 test report;
An overall IELTS test score of 7.0 or higher (with no sub-scores less than 6.0 in each section), or the equivalent TOEFL score as posted on the ETS website.
The relevance of the academic and experiential background and the equivalency and appropriateness of earlier degrees will be determined by the Admissions Committee.
Applicants to the Program, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:
MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction and daily life;
MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English;
the applicant is a graduate of Nazarbayev University.

List of documents to be submitted by the applicants

Complete application form;
National ID or passport;
Official document confirming name change (if applicable);
MD or equivalent terminal medical diploma with transcript;
IELTS or TOEFL test report/certificate valid as of the date of online documents submission to the Programs (if applicable);
IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) or USMLE step 1 test report;
Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months from academic or clinical referees preferably related to the specific residency program (to be provided by referees electronically or in hard copy) ;
Personal statement (up to 500 words);
075у medical certificate (for Kazakhstani candidates) or a similar medical certificate with indication of general health or other documents as requested by the University (for international candidates);
The document stating the presence or absence of a criminal record.

Important dates

Online application deadline for the Residency program in General Surgery: June 4, 2023 inclusive (23:59 Astana time).

Status assigned to the candidate

All registered candidates can check the status of their application in the Personal account. Description of the status below is presented in the order of assignment to the candidate in the Personal account.

Application in processing. This is interim status, which means that the application is being processed. Admissions Committee will evaluate the application and inform the candidate on further steps/stages. Notification on final results will be sent to your email address.

Does not meet entry requirements. The status is assigned to the candidates who do not meet the minimum entry requirements. It is given after checking the application forms and the documents by the Admissions Department.

Disqualified. The status is assigned to candidates who are disqualified for gross violations of the conditions of the competition. For example, provided deliberately false information.

Rejected by Admissions Committee. At one of the competition stages, the Admissions Committee decided to reject the candidate’s application.

Transfer to another program. At the stage of an application screening the Admissions Committee has decided to recommend the candidate for consideration by the Admissions Committee of another program within the same School.

Pending. Candidate’s application is pending.

Waiting list. The Admissions Committee has finished reviewing the candidate’s application and made a decision to put you on a waiting list. Such candidates should expect notification from the University, as there is a possibility that if other candidates reject to study, they may be sent an invitation letter to study.

Recommended for admission to Zero Year of Graduate programs. The Admissions Committee has decided to recommend the candidate for the Zero Year of Graduate program. “Zero Year of Graduate programs” is a two-semester full-time program for candidates, who do not meet the language requirements for direct admission to Master’s programs, with intensive language, academic and research preparation for Master’s programs.

Recommended for admission to program. Admissions Committee has decided to recommend candidate for the program without going through the Zero Year of Graduate programs.

Recommended for conditional admission. The Admissions Committee has decided to recommend a candidate for the conditional admission with a requirement to fulfill the condition by the deadline specified in the notification.

Withdrawn. Candidate decided to withdraw from the competition.

Accepted Program admission offer. The status is assigned to candidates who received offer letter, signed Enrollment confirmation form and fulfilled all the сonditions of the University indicated in the offer letter.

Accepted Zero Year of Graduate programs admission offer. The status is assigned to candidates who received offer letter to Zero Year of Graduate program, signed Enrollment confirmation form and fulfilled all the сonditions of the University indicated in the offer letter.

Refused admission offer. The candidate was recommended for admission, but refused to study.

Refused in favor of another NU program. The status is applicable for those candidates, who applied for several graduate programs at NU. The status is assigned when the candidate chooses another program.

Deferred. The status is assigned to candidates who were accepted for the program, but decided to postpone their studies until the next year.

Did not submit the documents/Refused. The status assigned to candidates who did not provide originals of the documents by the stated deadline, which means that the candidate refuses to study at University.

Did not come to Orientation week/Refused. The status is assigned to candidates who accepted the offer letter, provided hard copies of documents, but did not participate in Orientation week. The vacant place, if available, can be offered to the candidates in the Waiting list.

Enrolled to program. The status is assigned to candidates who enrolled to the main program by the Decision of the Provost. Candidate officially became a student.

Enrolled to Zero Year of Graduate programs. The status is assigned to candidates who enrolled to the Zero Year of Graduate program by the Decision of the Provost. Candidate officially became a student.

Curriculum

PGY 1

These rotations are designed to provide the resident broad-based exposure to the fundamentals of pre- and post-operative surgical care and a solid basis in surgical technical skills, such as the handling of tissue, closure of simple and complex wounds, exposure, and performance of basic general surgical procedures. Rotations consist of one month of experience in general and vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, trauma surgery, and pediatric surgery, anesthesiology, colorectal surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, endocrine/breast surgery, outpatient clinic, intensive care unit.

PGY 2

These rotations are designed to provide the resident with the knowledge, experience, and judgment necessary to evaluate and care for critically ill patients as well as patients with common surgical diseases such as abdominal wall hernias, colon cancer, and acute inflammatory conditions of the abdomen. The rotations consist of one to two-month experience in surgical oncology, general surgery, thoracic surgery, trauma surgery, colorectal surgery, endocrine/breast surgery, intensive care unit, endoscopy, and transplant surgery.

PGY 3

During PGY-3 training emphasizes surgical technique and skill refinement with rotations that include transplant surgery, vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, colon and rectal surgery, general surgery, and gastrointestinal surgery. Assignments are four to six weeks long. The 3rd year surgical residents are responsible for providing elective and emergency surgical consults on the general surgery services.

PGY 4

During PGY-4 training emphasizes surgical technique and skill refinement with rotations that include surgical oncology, colon, and rectal surgery, upper GI, trauma, and endocrine surgery. Assignments are six to ten weeks long. The 4-year surgical residents begin to assume a leadership role in caring for surgical patients. These residents are responsible for providing elective and emergency surgical consults on the general surgery services. Under the direction of attending surgeons, these residents will perform a wide spectrum of basic and laparoscopic general surgical procedures including breast biopsy, appendectomy, cholecystectomy, exploratory laparotomy, and colostomy.

PGY 5

This senior year is established with the primary goal of maximizing the number and variety of clinical experiences, sharpening diagnostic and therapeutic skills, of becoming an independent consultant, and maturing into an independent, competent, and confident general surgeon. Clinical rotations provide the chief resident with experience managing patients with both basic and complex general surgical problems. Under the guidance of an attending surgeon, the chief resident in surgery is responsible for managing the continuum of preoperative, operative, and postoperative care of his or her patients in general surgery, surgical oncology, colorectal, and upper GI services.

Educational Activities

Throughout the program, there are regularly scheduled conferences. On a weekly basis, the surgical service conference reviews all morbidity and mortality cases. A weekly basic science and clinical seminar series review a core curriculum in fundamental problems relevant to surgical care. Presentations are given by members of the surgical staff, and faculty from other clinical and basic science departments. Surgical grand rounds are held once a month and include presentations from all aspects of general surgery such as vascular, endocrine, trauma, and gastrointestinal surgery, as well as the surgical subspecialties.

Clinical rotation sites

Need advice?

Leave your contacts and our admissions managers will contact you soon.