General Surgery

We are participating in the 2026-2027 interview season!

About the Program

Residency Overview

This is a five-year categorical residency program beginning with a PGY-1 level of training. The program’s emphasis is on community-based general surgery. Out-rotations provide additional experience in Trauma, Surgical Intensive Care, Vascular Surgery, ENT, Hepatobiliary, Surgery Oncology, Pediatric Surgery and Transplant. The program is geared toward a hands-on approach, teaching in the operating suite and at the bedside. Residents work closely with a core group of surgeons and have progressive responsibility as they gain knowledge and skills. Residents also assist in educating and supervising junior house staff and medical students on service.

The General Surgery Residency at Garden City Hospital is Fully Accredited by the ACGME.

Quick Facts

Program duration: 5 years
Approved positions: 15
Current filled positions: 12

Program Director

Richard Spinale, DO

General Surgery

Dr. Richard Spinale is the Program Director of the General Surgery Residency Program at Garden City Hospital. For the last 39 years, he has been a General Surgeon at GCH with a very busy practice. 32 years ago, he became the Program Director for General Surgery and has been training residents to go on to become great surgeons and clinicians. He is an assistant Professor of Surgery at Michigan State University, Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgery, and an Associate Professor of Surgery at Ohio University.

Curriculum

Our rotation block diagrams are based upon educational requirements established by Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Our rotation curriculum includes:

PGY-1

7 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC
2 months of Vascular Surgery – Trinity St. Mary’s
1 month of ICU – GCH
1 month of Anesthesia – GCH
1 month of GI – GCH

PGY-2

6 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC
2 months of Trauma Surgery – DMC Sinai Grace
2 months of Surgical ICU – DMC Sinai Grace
2 months of Hepatobiliary Surgery – Ascension Providence

PGY-3

6 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC
2 months of General Surgery Robotic – Corewell Health Farmington Hills
2 months of Vascular Surgery – Trinity St. Mary’s
1 month of ENT – Ascension St. John
1 month of Surgical Oncology – Ascension St. John

PGY-4

5 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC
2 months of Trauma Surgery – DMC Sinai Grace
2 months of Pediatric Surgery – DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan
1 month of Transplant – Henry Ford Detroit
2 months of Electives

PGY-5

12 months of General Surgery – GCH/LHMC

Possible elective rotations include:

Colorectal
Thoracic
Plastics
UroGyn
Bariatrics
MIS
Foregut

Academic Accolades

Pain Medicine

Understanding Pain as Threat or Challenge: Predictive Roles of Resilience, Attachment, and Sensory Sensitivity – A. Lajaunie / D. Smythe / S. Zhu / J. Sturgeon / J. Pierce

CUREUS

Surgical Management for Recurrent Bleeding Stercoral Ulcers / A. Mansoor / R. Spinale / B. Hmoud
A rare case of Gastric Outlet Obstruction Caused by a Duedenal Carcinoid – C. Cross / R. Spinale / A. Pordal

MICHIGAN ACP & SHM-MI

Role of Beta Blockade in Cocaine Induced Aortic Dissection – A. Gandhi / S. Mantravadi / C. Cross / A. Vadher / A. Tiwari / S. Kambhatla
A rare case of Hafnea Alvei Causing Urosepsis in a Critically Ill Patient – N. Malik / A. Shehadeh / U. Malik / A. Pasha / S. Kambhatla

WILEY’S PUBLICATION

Fornier’s Gangrene and Pneumothorax Secondary to Non-Traumatic Duodenal Perforation – A. Shehadeh / A. Mansoor / J. Bray / W. Atallah / J. Mikhail / R. Spinale / A. Pordal

ROBOTIC GENERAL SURGERY BOOK

Chapter 6 written by J. Bray – Robotic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair with Mesh

AIR MEDICAL JOURNAL

Higher Prehospital Blood Glucose Levels Associated with Return of Spontaneous Circulation in Out-of-Hospital Non-Traumatic Cardiac Arrests – A. Shehadeh / J. Feng / W. Selde / J. Billian / J. Mastenbrook

CUREUS

Surgical Management for Recurrent Bleeding Stercoral Ulcers – A. Mansoor / R. Spinale / B. Hmoud

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH

Surgical Treatment of Giant Duodenum GIST – H. Acosta / Z. Yaning / C. Young / K. Sarraf / E. Kallabat / D. Nava / M. Jacobs
Case Report: Prolapse Induced Inflammatory Polyps Seen on Screening Colonoscopy for Malignant Neoplasm – B. Hmoud / W. Atallah
Case Report: Soft Tissue Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor – R. Spinale / W. Atallah

Bedside vs Webside: Assessing patient-reported experiences for in person and telemedicine-based Perioperative Evaluations – A. O’Conner / A. Shettig / N. Santucci / T. Sutton / J. Bray / C. Borzy / S. Orenstein / V. Nikolian