About Us
The Department of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is an academic surgery department with a threefold mission of providing advanced surgical care, conducting research, and training surgical residents and fellows.
Mission
Our commitment to clinical care, research excellence, innovative training, and diversity and health equity.
Diversity and Health Equity
Our commitment to shaping the future of the surgical specialty and improving the health of our patients.
Clinical Care
Patients benefit from our comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to surgical care. As Washington University Physicians, our surgeons work alongside leading specialists in other departments to provide the very best in patient care, from diagnosis to treatment and recovery. Our surgical programs are consistently ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
Washington University surgeons provide clinical care across five divisions: Cardiothoracic Surgery, General Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Urologic Surgery.
Our surgeons see patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital on the Washington University Medical Campus, as well as at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center and many other locations across the region.
Research
The Department of Surgery is annually ranked among the top academic surgery departments in NIH funding by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.
Investigators in the Department of Surgery lead innovative basic science and translational research laboratories. Our faculty advance patient care through groundbreaking clinical trials, which have produced new standards of care and improved patient outcomes.
Additionally, our Division of Public Health Sciences provides a platform for investigators across disciplines to collaborate on research focused on preventing disease, promoting healthy behaviors, and improving quality and access to health care.
Education
Our faculty train residents and fellows in every surgical specialty represented in the department. Trainees benefit from our high clinical volume, breadth of surgical expertise, research opportunities, and innovative training programs.
Our department was among the first to introduce flexibility in surgical training and early specialization, giving our residents the opportunity to prepare for careers in their chosen surgical specialties. Many of our trainees have gone on to lead academic surgical departments and programs nationwide.
The Washington University Institute for Surgical Education, a 4,000-square foot educational space, was among the first surgical skills labs in the nation. Our trainees develop their surgical skills and gain valuable experience in laparoscopic and robotic surgical techniques at this state-of-the-art simulation center.
Diversity and Health Equity
The Department of Surgery recognizes the importance of increasing the diversity of surgery as a specialty. By reflecting the diversity of the populations we serve, surgeons will contribute to improving the health equity of our patients.
Our surgeons provide the highest quality of care to patients across the region. This includes patients in historically underserved communities, as well as rural areas of Missouri and Illinois with the highest prevalence of certain cancers in Siteman Cancer Center’s catchment.
By developing research studies with a focus on diverse patient populations, our investigators aim to improve outcomes for patients who have been historically excluded from clinical research. Our public health sciences research furthers our understanding of disparities in health care and the changes necessary to increase access and improve outcomes.
The diversity of our training programs continues to increase each year. As we train future leaders in surgery through our renowned residency and fellowship programs, the Department of Surgery is shaping the future of our specialty be preparing the best and the brightest to advance surgical care for generations to come.
