Training Future Leaders in Surgery
Our nationally recognized residency and fellowship programs prepare trainees for careers as leaders in each surgical subspecialty.

High clinical volume

#2 in NIH funding

Pioneers in
simulation training

Mentorship from
leading surgeons
Residency Programs
Our residency programs provide trainees with the experience they need to become the next generation of leaders in each surgical specialty.
General Surgery Residency
Our general surgery residents are exposed to the entire breadth of each surgical subspecialty, from common procedures to the most complex surgical problems. The program also includes an innovative simulation training curriculum, Flexibility in Surgical Training, Early Specialization Pathways and robust research opportunities.
Plastic Surgery Residency
The six-year integrated residency program provides plastic and reconstructive surgical training in breast, craniofacial, pediatrics, head/neck trauma, hand, microsurgery, cosmetic and peripheral nerve surgery. This program prepares trainees for careers in plastic surgery by teaching surgical skills, emphasizing research and cultivating leadership.
Vascular Surgery Residency
Our vascular surgery residency prepares trainees to excel in the field. Residents are provided with a wide range of training in the details of CT and MR imaging techniques, clinical experience in preoperative, operative, and postoperative care, and experience in both endovascular and open vascular procedures.
Urologic Surgery Residency
Urology residents are exposed to a volume and diversity of surgical cases that is among the highest in the nation for urologic residency programs. The program places major emphasis on technological innovation and preparing graduates for successful careers in urologic surgery.
Fellowships
Our fellows benefit from the high clinical volume of our surgical subspecialties. Fellows also gain valuable experience training residents and medical students as part of our intensive, highly competitive fellowship programs, preparing them for careers in academic surgery.
The Department of Surgery offers over a dozen fellowships spanning our clinical specialty areas.
- Advanced Gastrointestinal/Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Breast Disease
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Colorectal Surgery
- Hand Surgery
- Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery
- Microsurgery
- Pediatric Surgery
- Peripheral Nerve Surgery
- Surgical Critical Care
- Surgical Oncology
- Transplant Surgery
- Urologic Surgery
- Vascular Surgery
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 in the Department of Surgery.
The program prepares its students for distinguished clinical research careers by accelerating and deepening their expertise in population health and clinical outcomes research.
The program is designed for:
- Physicians
- Residents
- Fellows
- Clinical doctorates and those with doctoral-level degrees
- Medical and health sciences students
Training Highlights

WISE Center
Residents develop surgical skills—including minimally invasive and robotic surgical techniques—at the Washington University Institute for Surgical Education (WISE), a 4,000 square-foot educational space.

Medical Campus
Training takes place primarily on the Washington University Medical Campus. The medical campus includes Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and Siteman Cancer Center.

Research
The Department of Surgery is a national leader in NIH funding, with robust basic science, clinical, public health sciences and surgical education research.

Life in St. Louis
Our residents love St. Louis for the variety of activities, low cost of living, camaraderie of our training programs and so much more!