The Department of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine has a long history of preparing its graduates for careers in academic surgery. That history dates to 1919, when the school appointed its first full-time chairman of the department.

Today, the breadth of the department can be seen in its five divisions: General Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Urologic Surgery. The Division of General Surgery is divided into seven sections:

• Acute and Critical Care Surgery
• Endocrine and  Surgery
• Hepato/Pancreatic/Biliary and Gastrointestinal Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Transplantation
• Vascular Surgery

Cardiothoracic Surgery is divided into cardiac, general thoracic and pediatric cardiothoracic surgery.

The general surgery residency program – with rotations at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital West County, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and the St. Louis VA Medical Center -John Cochran Division – includes training in all of these specialties.

The program’s top goal is excellence in patient care. This emphasis is reflected, in part, by the rankings of its two primary hospitals: Barnes-Jewish Hospital was ranked 9th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in 2009 and St. Louis Children's Hospital was placed in the top 10 among pediatric hospitals by  U.S. News.

The training program also provides outstanding opportunities in research within the Department of Surgery, the laboratories of other clinical or basic science departments in the medical school, or external institutions such as the National Institutes of Health. Residents also can utilize their two to three laboratory years – between their PGY2 and PGY3 years – earning other degrees such as a Masters in Business Administration or a Masters in Public Health.

Meanwhile, the faculty – which is involved in a wide array of research and clinical specialties – provides both strong support for the program and mentoring for residents.

Please browse our website – including the Message from the Chairman, Message from the Program Director, and Residency  section – to learn more about the general surgery residency program.