Surgical resident education: what is the department's price for commitment?

Objective: The current recession has impacted all aspects of our economy. Some residency programs have experienced faculty salary cuts, furlough days, and cessation of funding for travel to academic meetings. This milieu forced many residency programs to reevaluate their commitment to resident education, particularly for those expenses not provided for by Direct Medical Education (DME) and Indirect Medical Education (IME) funds.