Board-certified in general surgery, palliative care, and hospice care by the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Khalid Mahmoud Shirif serves as the medical director of several hospice facilities in Arizona, including Anthem Hospice and Traditions Hospice. In preparation for his career, Dr. Khalid Shirif completed a general surgery residency at SUNY’s University at Buffalo and was named administrative chief resident during that time.
A public research university, University of Buffalo belongs to the 64-campus SUNY system and is one of the United States’ top 40 public universities according to college rankings from the Wall Street Journal and U.S. News and World Report. The institution’s Department of Surgery’s general surgery residency is the only one of its kind in Buffalo. It exposes residents to the Department’s huge patient population, which exceeds one million individuals, and presents students with the chance to take on several types of surgical cases, including trauma and vascular procedures.
To ensure residents fully develop their leadership skills, clinical care abilities, and research expertise, the surgery residency program at the University of Buffalo lasts for up to five years. In the first year, trainees rotate through several hospitals as members of the surgical care team and are responsible for handling patient care on all floors at each facility. This includes planning patient treatment, attending hospital rounds, and gaining operating experience.
Once they go into year two of the program, trainees have greater clinical independence and integrate the knowledge of subspecialties, like breast or general surgery. Residents can also choose to pursue research during their second year. They subsequently transition to a team leader or supervisor as they move to the senior program in year three. This sees them enjoy an increasing amount of clinical independence and lets them take on more complex cases. Year four expands on this.
Finally, the fifth year of the University of Buffalo surgery residency program provides trainees with senior-level clinical experience. During this time, residents fine-tune their operative technique and decision-making skills. At the same time, they prepare and present at conferences and teach medical students and junior residents.
Khalid Shirif 