Match Day 2020 ushered in a new group of surgery residents, while saying goodbye to others who will soon leave UAB for different programs across the country. UAB students will continue their medical educations at 82 institutions across 30 states.

In an ongoing series, the Department of Surgery will feature incoming and outgoing trainees for all UAB Surgery programs. This week, learn about the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program and its new and graduating residents.

Hello:

This year, the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program welcomes one new resident onto its traditional two-year pathway: Tyler Wahl, M.D. After completing his general surgery residency at UAB, Wahl will start as a PGY-6 in the cardiothoracic program.

In addition to an incoming traditional-pathway resident, the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency will bring in two more current UAB general surgery residents as PGY-6s via its new integrated 4/3 pathway: Evan Garner, M.D., and Adam Witcher, M.D.

Instated in 2018 by Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Benjamin Wei, M.D., this 4/3 pathway allows residents to begin their cardiothoracic surgery training while they are still finishing their general surgery training here at UAB.

Witcher and Garner joined the 4/3 pathway in 2019, which allows them to complete their last year of general surgery training and their second year of cardiothoracic surgery training within the same time period at UAB.

The Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency now comprises seven residents.

Incoming Residents:

Goodbye:

After spending two years on the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency’s traditional pathway, the program’s outgoing residents this year, Wesley Kim, M.D., and Lt. Col. James Mace, M.D., FACS are preparing to leave UAB for an aortic super-fellowship and service in the Army, respectively.

Kim will soon head back to Ohio to complete an aortic super-fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Medical Fellowship, which is only about two hours from where Kim completed his general surgery training at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, before coming to UAB.

Although his service location is currently unknown, Mace looks forward to completing service in the Army as a physician.

Outgoing Residents: