Residents and fellows benefit from exposure to a large and diverse patient population at nationally ranked hospitals. Trainees enjoy strong mentorship from faculty who are leaders in their fields.
Residency Programs
The Washington University General Surgery Residency was among the first surgical training programs in the country to begin reshaping a century-old model of teaching residents how to perform surgery. Residents were traditionally taught under the “See One, Do One, Teach One” method: observe a surgery, replicate it with limited guidance, and, later, teach it. Almost 20 years ago, the Washington University residency introduced a skills and simulation lab that allowed trainees to learn some technical skills at their own pace. The residency, which began in 1919, has continued to be a leader in the postgraduate education field and remains one of the top surgical residency programs in the United States.
Vilray Blair, MD — one of the founders of the plastic surgery specialty — initially developed the Washington University Plastic Surgery Residency in the early 20th century. The 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 and 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 Washington University Urology Residency has a long and distinguished history in preparing graduates for careers in urologic surgery, dating to 1910. Today, urology residents are exposed to a volume and diversity of surgical cases that is among the highest for urologic residency programs. The program places major emphasis on technological innovation. Residents complete four years, as well as an additional intern year, performing rotations at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the VA St. Louis Health Care System and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital.
The Washington University Vascular Surgery Residency is a five-year program for medical school graduates who decide to focus exclusively on vascular surgery, endovascular surgery and the management of patients with vascular disease. The program has full accreditation and graduated its first resident in 2017. The section also offers a vascular surgery fellowship for postgraduate trainees who decide to specialize in vascular surgery during their general surgery residency.
Fellowships
Most surgical divisions, and all of the specialites in the Division of General Surgery, offer fellowships:
Advanced Gastrointestinal/Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship
Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship
Hand, Nerve and Microsurgery Fellowship
Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery Fellowship
Minimally Invasive Urology Fellowship
Pediatric Urology Fellowship
Master of Population Health Sciences
The Master of Population Health Sciences (MPHS) degree program was established in 2010 by Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, an internationally recognized leader in cancer prevention and chief of the Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery.
The MPHS program is designed for
- physicians
- residents
- fellows
- clinical doctorates and those with doctoral-level degrees
- medical and health sciences students
The program prepares its students for distinguished clinical research careers by accelerating and deepening their expertise in population health and clinical outcomes research.