Are surgical intern and first-year surgical residence the same term?

Answer 1

Yes. A few years ago, when it was discovered that many people assumed that interns were medical students and not really doctors, it caused credibility problems for the hospitals as patients felt that they were being treated by students, not professionals. At that time, most medical schools started calling what would formerly have been called interns, "first year residents".

Answer 2

Intern and first-year resident mean the same thing.