# General Surgery preliminary exam-policy review, 2027

Checked September 14, 2026. This document records public program requirements, not an applicant's personal exam history or an eligibility determination.

## What this review changes

The 42-program expansion list is a research pool. Its highlighted 15 are working selections, not cleared recommendations. DO resident representation alone does not establish exam eligibility, acceptance of repeated attempts, or willingness to review an incomplete exam sequence.

The exam-route review identifies 12 COMLEX routes, 16 programs with both USMLE passes listed, one Step 2 CK requirement without a Step 1 interview requirement, one Step 1 interview requirement without a Step 2 CK pass requirement, three conflicting or ambiguous source pairs, two unclear USMLE specifications, and seven unverified routes. These are policy categories, not estimates of competitiveness or match probability. An unknown field is never interpreted as a waiver.

The website now filters exam policies independently of DO percentages. Open any General Surgery program for its exact score thresholds, attempt language, pending-result timing, preliminary-track caveats, and linked sources. There is no automatic eligibility approval or automatic removal from the list.

## The distinctions that matter

- **USMLE required:** Identify which Step, a pass versus a numerical minimum, and the selection stage at which the result is needed.
- **COMLEX route listed:** A program accepts a COMLEX route for DO applicants. This does not answer how it evaluates a USMLE attempt already taken.
- **First-attempt requirement:** Identify the exact exam covered. Good Samaritan's published Step 1 rule must not be generalized to Step 2 CK.
- **First-attempt expectation or preference:** Preserve the program's actual wording. Geisinger's first-pass expectation and Trident's competitive preference are not rewritten as absolute no-exceptions exclusions.
- **Pending result:** Application review, interview invitation, ranking, and appointment may have different score deadlines. FREIDA's interview fields do not establish all four.

USMLE transcripts contain complete examination history, not only the most recent score. After an ERAS application has been sent, a new USMLE result must be retransmitted through the scores workflow; do not assume programs have received it automatically. [USMLE transcript contents](https://www.usmle.org/scores-transcripts/transcripts), [AAMC USMLE transcript instructions](https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-residencies-eras/publication-chapters/usmle-transcript).

## Program-by-program index

A program-level rule is not proof of a preliminary-track exception. None of these entries confirms acceptance of a particular applicant's prior attempts. Where current retrieval failed, the source link is provided for follow-up, not represented as a verified rule.

| Program and preliminary NRMP code | Current exam-route finding | Published attempt finding | Direct sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital (2137440P0) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4401100446) |
| Charleston Area Medical Center (1902440P0) | COMLEX route listed | First-attempt COMLEX Level 1 and Level 2 passes are required for DO applicants. The page does not settle how a DO applicant's separate USMLE attempts are treated. | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4405511351), [CAMC Surgery 2027 application requirements](https://www.camcmedicine.edu/academic-departments/department-general-surgery/general-surgery-residency/apply) |
| St Joseph's University Medical Center (1406440P1) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403300191) |
| Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center (2136440P0) | Exam sources conflict or are unclear | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403300196), [Palisades Surgery program FAQ](https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/healthcare-professionals/pmc/general-surgery-residency/program-details) |
| Good Samaritan Hospital Cincinnati (1550440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | The program requires a first-attempt USMLE Step 1 pass. It does not publish an equivalent Step 2 CK attempt rule on this page; do not extend the Step 1 rule to CK. | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403831253), [TriHealth Surgery application process](https://www.trihealth.com/research-and-education/graduate-medical-education/residency-programs/general-surgery-residency/application-process) |
| Jewish Hospital Cincinnati (1551440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403831254), [Jewish Hospital Surgery application requirements](https://www.mercy.com/about-us/careers/graduate-medical-education/locations/cincinnati/general-surgery-residency-at-the-jewish-hospital/how-to-apply) |
| Wright State University (2011440P0) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403821266), [Wright State civilian Surgery application requirements](https://medicine.wright.edu/surgery/general-surgery-residency/how-to-apply) |
| University of Missouri Kansas City (1343440P0) | USMLE rule needs clarification | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402821168), [UMKC Surgery application requirements](https://med.umkc.edu/departments/academic-clinical/surgery/residency/apply.html) |
| Geisinger Health System (1608440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | The official FAQ states an expectation of passing USMLE on the first try, without a numerical minimum. This is an explicit expectation, not a published absolute no-exceptions rule. | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404121283), [Geisinger Central Surgery exam FAQ](https://www.geisinger.edu/gchs/education/residencies-fellowships/residencies/general-surgery-central-residency) |
| West Virginia University (1837440P1) | Exam route unverified | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4405521352) |
| Ascension Illinois Saint Joseph Chicago (1405440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4401631086) |
| Rush University Medical Center (1147440P0) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4401621092) |
| Orlando Health (1107440P0) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4401111076) |
| East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine (2066440P0) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404721377), [ETSU Surgery application requirements](https://www.etsu.edu/com/surgery/residency/applying.php) |
| Indiana University School of Medicine (1187440P0) | Exam route unverified | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4401721103) |
| HCA Florida Brandon Hospital (1772440P0) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4401100445), [Brandon hospital-wide requirements, contains legacy wording](https://hcahealthcaregme.com/locations/hca-florida-brandon-hospital/requirements.dot) |
| Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center (1395440P0) | Exam sources conflict or are unclear | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403300195), [Jersey Shore Surgery application requirements](https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/healthcare-professionals/jsumc/surgery-residency/application-process) |
| Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Center (1617440P0) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404121287) |
| Prisma Health University of South Carolina Columbia (1681440P0) | USMLE Step 2 CK pass | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404521316) |
| Corewell Health Grand Rapids Michigan State University (2077440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402521410) |
| Detroit Medical Center Wayne State University (1295440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402521148) |
| Henry Ford St John Hospital (1915440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402511145) |
| Trinity Health Oakland Wayne State University (1319440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402511157) |
| Henry Ford Providence Hospital (1303440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402521160) |
| Lankenau Medical Center (1632440P0) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404111296) |
| St Mary Medical Center Langhorne (2139440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404100001) |
| Methodist Dallas Medical Center (1707440P0) | Exam route unverified | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404812329) |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (1710440P0) | Exam route unverified | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404811332) |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock (2973440P0) | Exam route unverified | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404821363) |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Amarillo (2993440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404800437) |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Permian Basin (3124440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404800003) |
| University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (1722440P0) | USMLE Step 1, CK not required for interview | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404821338) |
| TidalHealth (2316440P0) | Exam sources conflict or are unclear | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402300001), [TidalHealth Surgery application requirements](https://www.tidalhealth.org/health-professionals/education/graduate-medical-education/general-surgery-residency) |
| HCA Healthcare Trident Medical Center (2056440P0) | COMLEX route listed | High scores and first-attempt passes are described as more competitive, not as an absolute first-attempt eligibility requirement. Prior USMLE-attempt treatment for DO applicants still needs confirmation. | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404500321), [Trident Surgery application FAQ](https://hcahealthcaregme.com/locations/hca-healthcare-trident-hospital/surgery-residency/) |
| Nuvance Health Danbury Hospital (2492440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4400813428) |
| UMass Chan Baystate (1286440P0) | COMLEX route listed | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402411138) |
| Nassau University Medical Center (1448440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403512198) |
| Staten Island University Hospital (1515440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403511236) |
| The Brooklyn Hospital Center (1420440P0) | USMLE rule needs clarification | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403531208) |
| University of Missouri Columbia (1994440P0) | Exam route unverified | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402821166) |
| University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine Tulsa (2727440P0) | Exam route unverified | Not established | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4403921274) |
| University of Tennessee Medical Center Knoxville (1839440P0) | USMLE Step 1 + Step 2 CK | The official page requires passing USMLE on the first attempt. A repeat-attempt applicant should not treat this as an eligible signal choice without an explicit program exception. | [FREIDA DO interview requirements](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404711321), [UT Knoxville Surgery requirements and eligibility](https://gsm.utmck.edu/surgery/app_process.cfm) |

## Priority issues before signaling

1. **UT Knoxville:** The current Surgery page requires first-attempt USMLE passage and requires DO applicants to take USMLE in addition to COMLEX. This is a substantive eligibility screen. A repeat-attempt applicant needs an explicit exception before treating it as a viable signal choice. The page lists an October 13 application deadline. [Official requirements](https://gsm.utmck.edu/surgery/app_process.cfm).
2. **CAMC:** The DO route specifies first-attempt COMLEX passes, including Level 2 at least 440. Review begins September 23, 2026, with initial screening expected to finish September 30. Ask about both later score availability and how optional USMLE attempts are treated. [2027 Surgery requirements](https://www.camcmedicine.edu/academic-departments/department-general-surgery/general-surgery-residency/apply).
3. **ETSU:** USMLE or COMLEX is accepted, but both results in the selected sequence must be present before review. Its published deadline is November 1. This is a score-timing issue, not verified repeat-attempt flexibility. [Surgery application page](https://www.etsu.edu/com/surgery/residency/applying.php).
4. **Wright State:** COMLEX substitution is explicit, but the page's interview-selection language and its later February ranking deadline are not completely consistent. Obtain the civilian preliminary interview-stage rule. [Civilian application requirements](https://medicine.wright.edu/surgery/general-surgery-residency/how-to-apply).
5. **TidalHealth:** The program website accepts USMLE or COMLEX; FREIDA requires USMLE for DO interviews. Resolve this conflict directly. Its page lists four categorical and two preliminary openings, and says review begins in October. [Program](https://www.tidalhealth.org/health-professionals/education/graduate-medical-education/general-surgery-residency), [FREIDA](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4402300001).
6. **Jersey Shore and Palisades:** Program-page wording and DO-specific FREIDA fields do not give an unambiguous common answer. Neither program should receive a blanket COMLEX-only or Step 2-required classification until clarified. See their direct sources in the table.
7. **Brandon and UMKC:** Legacy scored Step 1 or retired exam wording limits confidence in numerical thresholds. Keep current eligibility and timing questions open instead of treating old text as a confirmed 2027 policy.

COMLEX-route programs such as Bayonet Point, St Joseph's Paterson, Penn State Hershey, Rush, Orlando, Lankenau, and UMass Baystate are reasonable **policy-inquiry candidates**, not confirmed repeat-attempt-friendly recommendations. Their public interview fields do not settle how a prior USMLE attempt is evaluated. Each remains subject to the preliminary-track, OBGYN overlap, and signaling-participation checks in the main research brief.

## Data corrections

- Geisinger Central's correct ACGME ID is 4404121283. The former link pointed to a different program. The unsupported 18.8 percent DO figure has been withdrawn, and the displayed first-year position count is now seven. The separate two-preliminary-position figure comes from Geisinger's program page. Existing notes, statuses, favorites, and signal selections are preserved by NRMP track identity. [Correct FREIDA profile](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404121283).
- Lankenau's rechecked DO-specific FREIDA field does not require USMLE. Its prior blanket USMLE-required label was incorrect. St Mary and Texas Tech Permian Basin, conversely, have USMLE requirements in the rechecked profiles despite earlier generic DO-pathway descriptions. Sources are linked in the table.
- San Antonio distinguishes Step 1 from Step 2 CK at the interview stage. Its profile still requires COMLEX Levels 1 and 2. This is not evidence that a prior USMLE failure is ignored. [FREIDA](https://freida.ama-assn.org/program/4404821338).
- Numerical DO composition and unknown composition now remain separate from the exam-policy filter. A high DO percentage cannot hide an exam requirement.

## Questions for a program coordinator

Before committing a signal, obtain answers for the exact preliminary NRMP code:

1. Is the position undesignated and open to applicants who are not already committed to an advanced specialty?
2. Which exams and score thresholds apply to DO preliminary applicants, and do the categorical requirements also apply?
3. Does any first-attempt rule cover Step 1, Step 2 CK, COMLEX, or every exam attempted? Is it an absolute screen or an individualized review?
4. How are prior USMLE attempts evaluated when a DO applicant otherwise meets the COMLEX route?
5. Will an application be reviewed while a second-level exam or retake result is pending? What are the final dates for review, interview selection, and ranking?
6. How should an applicant notify the program after a new score is retransmitted, and will the application be reconsidered?
7. Does this preliminary track participate in 2027 signaling, and how is a signal used in selection?

Record the answer, date, source, and whether it applies to the preliminary track. No coordinator contact or private applicant disclosure has been made as part of this review.

A preliminary surgery position provides one year of training; it does not by itself secure the rest of a categorical residency. Couples-match planning should account for both the first-year location and the need to secure subsequent training. [NRMP program types](https://www.nrmp.org/programs-institutions/managing-programs-in-the-match/managing-the-main-residency-match/).

## Limits and next review

Seven routes remain unverified; other programs have unresolved timing or attempt questions. The Orthopaedic pool has not been screened program by program for attempts and pending scores in this review. Public pages may be stale, contradictory, or program-wide rather than track-specific. Confirm current program rules and MyERAS signaling before submission. Do not infer an interview probability from these policies or from DO composition.