Education
The Department of Surgery offers four surgical residency programs and 12 advanced fellowships to train the next leaders in general and subspecialty surgical fields. Residents and fellows will experience dynamic, hands-on training with close mentorship. The department has been at the forefront of national surgical curriculum development for many decades. A hallmark of the educational program is flexibility for early specialization, with opportunities for more focused training in a resident’s surgical specialty of choice.
General Surgery Residency
Program Director: Paul Wise, MD
The Washington University General Surgery Residency Program, which began in 1919 and remains one of the top surgical residency programs in the United States, was among the first surgical training programs in the country to introduce a skills and simulation lab that allowed trainees to learn a variety of technical skills at their own pace. The five-year program consistently has been noted as innovative, with Program Director Paul Wise, MD, and other educational leaders nationally recognized for contributions enhancing postgraduate surgical education.
Five associate program directors offer expertise in specific areas of surgical education and engage residents on a daily basis. Department faculty — many of whom have been or are current leaders of national organizations — also enthusiastically embrace their roles as educators and mentors. For clinical training, the volume of cases is extensive: residents train in five hospitals, including Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the John Cochran VA Hospital, and two community hospitals. Along with a wide variety of clinical opportunities, the department has a strong research component to the residency program.
The department is engaged in robust basic science research, but residents also can engage in clinical, translational or outcomes research or earn advanced degrees in public health, clinical investigation, business administration or education.
International Surgical Rotation
For general surgery residents desiring an international experience, the department offers a two-month rotation at Mzuzu Central Hospital in Malawi, Africa, a resource-limited hospital that serves the needs of nearly 2.5 million citizens. Residents care for a wide range of adult and pediatric surgical patients, performing more than 100 cases during their rotation. The opportunity has been offered for the past three years and seven residents have participated to date.
Plastic Surgery Residency
Program Director: Marissa Tenenbaum, MD
The Plastic Surgery Residency is a six-year integrated program, including 4 ½ years of plastic surgery training in breast, craniofacial, pediatrics, head/neck trauma, hand, microsurgery, cosmetic and peripheral nerve surgery. Residents also complete rotations in all the general surgery experiences required by the American Board of Plastic Surgery as well as subspecialty rotations in oculoplastics, surgical dermatology, orthopedic trauma and anesthesia. Training takes place at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, Christian Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The program has a distinguished history: Vilray Blair, MD, one of the founders of the plastic surgery specialty, initially developed the training program at Washington University School of Medicine in the early 20th century.
Urology Residency
Program Director: Erica Traxel, MD
The Urology Residency is a five-year program, with one surgery internship year followed by four urology residency years, performing rotations at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the VA St. Louis Health Care System and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. Residents are exposed to a volume and diversity of surgical cases that are among the highest in the country for urologic residency programs. The program, which has prepared graduates for careers in urologic surgery since 1910, places major emphasis on technological innovation.
Vascular Surgery Residency
Program Director: Jeffrey Jim, MD
The Vascular Surgery Residency is a five-year program for medical school graduates who decide to focus exclusively on vascular or endovascular surgery and the management of patients with vascular disease. The program has full accreditation and graduated its first resident in 2017. For trainees who have completed their general surgery residency and then decide to specialize in vascular surgery, the program offers a two-year advanced fellowship in vascular surgery.
Fellowships
Advanced Gastrointestinal/Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship
Program director: L. Michael Brunt, MD
Breast Disease Fellowship
Program director: Julie Margenthaler, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship
Program director: Marc Moon, MD
Colorectal Surgery Fellowship
Program director: Steven Hunt, MD
Hand, Nerve and Microsurgery Fellowship
Program director: Amy Moore, MD
Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery Fellowship
Program director: William Hawkins, MD
Minimally Invasive Urology Fellowship
Clinical fellowship director:
R. Sherburne Figenschau, MD
Research fellowship director:
Ramakrishna Venkatesh, MD
Pediatric Surgery Fellowship
Program director: Patrick Dillon, MD
Pediatric Urology Fellowship
Program director: Douglas Coplen, MD
Surgical Critical Care Fellowship
Program director: Douglas Schuerer, MD
Transplant Surgery Fellowship
Program director: M.B. Majella Doyle,
MD, MBA
Vascular Surgery Fellowship
Program director: Jeffrey Jim, MD, MPHS