Dr. Amiri, program director at Marshall University, and fourth year surgery resident David Kanarowski join The Rural American Surgeon to discuss Marshall’s dedicated rural general surgery residency and how it prepares surgeons for independent practice in rural communities.

They explain how residents spend roughly two thirds of their training at rural hospitals, gaining early operative experience without competing with other residents for cases.

The conversation covers the broad skills rural surgeons may need, including C-sections, endoscopy, orthopedics, and procedures shaped by the resources available in their future communities.

Dr. Amiri and David also share what Marshall looks for in applicants and why a genuine commitment to rural life matters. The episode concludes with a practical discussion of Dr. Amiri’s approach to robotic right colectomy.

01:07 Why Marshall Created a Rural Surgery Residency

02:26 Spending Two Thirds of Training in Rural Hospitals

03:09 Preparing for a Career in a Small Town

05:27 Tailoring Training to Future Rural Practice

06:48 How Marshall’s Rural Residency Is Structured

07:49 What Marshall Looks for in Rural Surgery Applicants

09:03 Case Volume and Early Operative Experience

09:53 Taking Call in a Rural Hospital

10:43 Housing and Rural Rotation Sites

11:56 Training with OB/GYN, Orthopedics, and Other Specialties

13:59 Endoscopy and C-Sections in Rural Practice

16:14 Finding Residents with a Rural Mindset

17:02 Training General Surgeons Rather Than Specialists

18:29 Fellowships That Can Benefit Rural Surgeons

20:11 How Dr. Amiri Performs a Robotic Right Colectomy

22:33 Medial to Lateral Dissection and Pedicle Ligation

24:28 Using ICG to Identify the Middle Colic

26:55 Bowel Transection and Stapling Technique

29:05 Creating the Anastomosis

30:44 Postoperative Care and Early Discharge

31:26 Adapting the Technique Without a RobotResources Mentioned

● Marshall University