The OHSU Department of Surgery instituted the resident council in 2017 and is made up of two representatives from each year elected by their peers. The purpose of the council is to hear and address the administrative, educational and wellness concerns of the general surgery residents, and to act as an additional bridge between the residents and program faculty, educational administration and executive committee. Meetings occur every two months. Topics include issues with individual rotations or site-specific concerns, issues by class year or specific programs or topics brought to the council by individual residents, faculty or administration. Topics are often communicated to the group in a peer-to-peer fashion, but there are also confidential avenues to bring issues to the attention of the resident council and the administration.