The UAB General Surgery Residency Program ranks among the top 25 percent of general surgical programs in the United States for the highest number of Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA) assessments.

This accomplishment demonstrates UAB's dedication to excellence in surgical education and training.

EPAs assess a resident's clinical skills and competencies related to general surgery. They are a crucial metric for evaluating a surgical trainee's readiness to move from supervised learning to independent practice. UAB's ranking among the top programs highlights its commitment to improving surgical education.

At the core of UAB's success is its emphasis on motivating faculty members and trainees to complete assessments in the operating room, as well as in pre-operative and post-operative settings. EPAs were introduced nationwide in July 2023. Since then, UAB has offered opportunities for residents and faculty to use the SIMPL (Society for Improving Medical Professional Learning) mobile application, which allows members of the residency program to submit entrustment evaluations.

The residency program has several faculty members who actively support the EPA framework and consistently generates scientific publications on EPAs, advancing the field both at UAB and within the broader scientific community.

“We are proud to be in the top quartile of programs for EPAs. At UAB, we aim to graduate highly prepared surgeons who are proficient in performing the most common procedures in general surgery and are capable of accurately assessing the most prevalent surgical consultations,” says UAB General Surgery Residency Program Director Britney Corey, M.D., MACM.