Is it customary for attendings or residents at this institution to call patients at home the day before surgery?

This is an interview question you can ask the interviewer. While this is not the norm in many residency programs, it is important in private practice and doing so shows a commitment to your patient. If the program doesn't do this, you can sound like an all-star resident by suggesting that you would like to do so in order to get a complete history, provide instructions (e.g., NPO at midnight), and answer the patient's questions.