HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Meritus Health will welcome three doctors into its General Surgery Residency Program starting in July 2026.

The program received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education earlier this year. That makes it the third residency program based at the health system, joining Family Medicine and Psychiatry.

“There is a shortage of general surgeons across the United States,” said Sylvester Paulasir, M.D., Meritus General Surgery Residency program director. “This is due to an increase in population, particularly the geriatric population, who require the skills of a surgeon for various medical procedures. Unfortunately, the number of residency spots across the nation has not been keeping up.”

The highly selective five-year program will admit three recent medical school graduates each year, for a total of 15 residents once at full capacity.

Residency programs serve as structured apprenticeships leading to board certification in a particular specialty. A resident is a physician who is enrolled in this apprenticeship or residency and is overseen by board-certified faculty physicians.

The mission of the program is to equip residents with the knowledge, judgement and skills to become excellent clinical surgeons and effective educators who possess a spirit of inquiry and a commitment to improve the health of the communities they serve.

“Our training philosophy is rooted in providing a comprehensive surgical education,” Dr. Paulasir said. “Residents engage in a balanced mix of surgical techniques, from traditional open procedures to advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgeries. Our faculty, a blend of seasoned professionals, all hold fellowships in their specialties, enriching the learning experience.”

Program participants will also partner with the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, working on research projects and teaching medical students, he said.

The surgery residency program, much like the medical school, was started locally in hopes of attracting future physicians to the area. Studies have shown that doctors tend to begin their careers within 100 miles of where they were trained.

“We hope the surgeons who train here find Hagerstown and Western Maryland to be a desirable place to live and work and raise a family,” Dr. Paulasir said. “And this will benefit the community in general by providing more expert care, close to home.”

To learn more about the Meritus General Surgery Residency Program, visit www.meritushealth.com/SurgeryResidency.

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Meritus Health, Western Maryland’s largest health care provider, is located at the crossroads of Western Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The mission of Meritus Health is to improve the health of the region by providing the best healthcare, health services and medical education. As an anchor organization for the community, Meritus has more than 4,000 employees and serves more than 200,000 residents of the tristate region through Meritus Medical Center, Brook Lane Health Services, Meritus Medical Group, Meritus Home Health, Meritus Equipped for Life, and the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. More information can be found at www.MeritusHealth.com or visit our Facebook page or LinkedIn page.