Preliminary Surgery

Program Overview

"Our mission is to train leaders in surgery and to train physicians who can operate in a community environment that holds to the highest ethical and professional standards and espouses the core surgical values of duty, honor and responsibility to patients.”

Welcome to the General Surgery Residency Program at the University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals! In the webpages to follow we hope to show you who we are in both the incredible depth and breadth of our program. The University of Washington provides extraordinary training in the robust intellectual environment of one of the top universities in the world. Like most university-based surgical programs, the University of Washington program provides a rigorous, comprehensive experience that is designed to produce the highest caliber surgeon. We are dedicated to the education of diverse individuals who will become future academic surgeon-leaders. In addition, we bear a special dual responsibility to train outstanding clinicians and community leaders for the suburban, rural, and even remote communities of the Northwest.

Our educational mission is to create exceptional surgeons who are clinically and technically superb while emphasizing continued learning, ethical principles, service, interpersonal relationships, and compassionate patient care. Our program is intellectually as well as physically challenging, with high expectations and standards for our trainees. One of the ways we distinguish ourselves from the handful of other elite programs is the incredible combination of a few things:

The five states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI), comprising 27% of the U.S. land mass, serve as our geographic catchment area of tertiary and quaternary referrals for everything ranging from elective surgery to surgical complications and Level I trauma care. This provides an unmatched range of pathology.
A top 10 U.S. Cancer Center which provides world-class surgical oncology.
One of the leaders in trauma/critical care/burn care in the world in partnership with the renowned Life Flight Northwest.
The six hospitals of UW Medicine, all university hospitals, each with a different care focus.
A unique spirit of collegiality and collaboration which fosters a sense of camaraderie and community.

….All set in the extraordinary beauty of our environs of the Pacific NW – with green trees and flowers year around, and mountain peaks with water in every direction.

As the Program Director, my goal is to cultivate an exciting, positive, and progressive environment that promotes self-directed learning. With each new challenge in surgical education, we aim to enhance the educational experience rather than simply maintain the status quo. Our mission includes redefining the culture of surgical training for the 21st century. The Pacific Northwest provides an ideal setting for this transformation, as it embodies a community united by shared goals and a culture of flatter hierarchies.

Thank you for your interest in our program! We all look forward to meeting you.

Rebecca P. Petersen, MD, MSc
Associate Professor of Surgery
Program Director, General and Preliminary Surgery

Quick Facts

Our residents:

60% are female
22% are URiM

Our program:

Has been training surgeons since 1947
Offers experience in robotic surgery (even as an R1).
Provides a hybrid training model: typical university resident team structure and apprenticeship model training both used on different rotations.
All of the faculty are full-time teaching faculty in the University of Washington School of Medicine, committed to surgical education. The majority are national and international leaders.

Our department community:

Our Wellness Committee includes an equal number of faculty, residents and staff
Our Diversity Council also includes faculty, residents and staff
We focus on the development of the whole surgeon, emphasizing intellect, surgical skill, and humanity.

Program Leadership

Dr. Rebecca Peterson

Rebecca P. Petersen, MD, MSc
Associate Professor

Program Director, General and Preliminary Surgery

Practice: General Surgery, Complex Hernias and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Surgery

Program Directors

Dr. Erika Bisgaard

Erika Bisgaard, MD
Assistant Professor

Associate Program Director, Harborview Medical Center

Practice: Trauma/Critical Care Surgery

Portrait photo of Dr. Nick Cetrulo

Lawrence N. Cetrulo, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Director of ABSITE

Associate Program Director, UW Medical Center-Northwest

Practice: General Surgery, Complex Hernia Surgery

Dr. Saurabh Khandelwal

Saurabh Khandelwal, MD
Associate Professor

Associate Program Director, UW Medical Center-Montlake and Preliminary Surgery Program

Practice: Bariatric Surgery, General Surgery, Metabolic, & Diabetic Surgery

Dr. Chris Marfo

Chris Marfo, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor

Associate Program Director, Harborview Medical Center

Practice: Trauma/Critical Care Surgery

Portrait photo of Dr. Deborah Marquardt

Deborah L. Marquardt, MD
Associate Professor

Associate Program Director: VA-Puget Sound Health Care System

Practice: General Surgery, Critical Care Surgery

Portrait photo of Dr. Lisa Mcintyre

Lisa K. McIntyre, MD
Professor

Associate Program Director: Harborview Medical Center

Practice: Trauma/Critical Care Surgery

Portrait photo of Dr. Caitlin Smith

Caitlin A. Smith, MD
Associate Professor

Associate Program Director: Seattle Children’s Hospital

Practice: Pediatric Surgery

CLINICAL TRAINING

Clinical Experience

The comprehensive clinical training at the University of Washington can be matched at a handful of programs, but not exceeded! The ‘UW surgical product’ is well known and highly regarded around the country. Our graduates are routinely leaders in the top fellowship programs. For those who directly enter independent surgical practice, they seamlessly transition to their new community without further training.

We provide a rigorous experience with graduated responsibilities designed to produce the highest caliber surgeon. Our environment is intellectually challenging with high expectations and standards for all trainees. We span excellence in all aspects of surgical care from multi-disciplinary clinical evaluation, in-patient care, operative technique and decision making, management of post-op complications and team leadership.

The ingredients that comprise this elite training include:

WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) catchment area for tertiary referrals. Our residents manage the most complex surgical patients available anywhere on a routine basis, so the straightforward patients become easy.
World class Level I trauma/critical care and burn experience.
Multi-disciplinary surgical oncology experience at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, one of the top 10 cancer centers in the U.S.
Pediatric surgery experience at Seattle Children’s Hospital, a quaternary referral center.
High acuity surgery which includes learning from some of the top faculty in the country in: foregut surgery, colorectal, emergency general surgery, surgical oncology, endocrine, breast, bariatrics, thoracic, transplant, complex hernia and abdominal wall reconstruction.
Minimally invasive and robotic surgery presence at all hospitals.
A university level VA hospital.
Large volume, bread and butter general surgery experience in an apprenticeship, community practice model.

Some statistics:

Over 1000 major cases done as surgeon
Over 350 cases completed by the end of the R2 year (far exceeding the 250 requirement)
3x required complex Stomach cases
4-5x required complex Esophagus, Liver, and Pancreas cases
Facility with management of complex trauma/critical care

Training Sites

Six major hospitals and the clinics of the Fred Hutch Cancer Center are integrated into the general surgery teaching program: UW Medical Center-Montlake, UW Medical Center–Northwest, Harborview Medical Center, Puget Sound Veterans Administration Medical Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Valley Medical Center. All hospitals are ~20 minutes apart around the Seattle urban area. Each hospital’s surgical service is staffed by full-time, world-renowned faculty members of the University of Washington School of Medicine. In our program, 100% of faculty at all hospitals are teaching faculty. Residents work closely with faculty in and out of the OR. Medical students rotate at each training site, giving our residents plenty of teaching opportunities.

UW Medical Center-Montlake

As the No. 1 hospital in Seattle and Washington State (U.S. News & World Report), UW Medical Center-Montlake is one of the world's foremost tertiary referral academic health centers, delivering exceptional, multidisciplinary care to patients who come to us from across the globe. Residents rotate at all levels at Montlake onto the following services: CT, Colorectal, Emergency General Surgery, Foregut, Hernia, Plastic, SICU, Surgical Oncology (Breast, Endocrine, HPB, Melanoma, Sarcoma, and Mixed Tumor) and Transplant Surgery. Services are typical university hospital team-based, academic services. Explore UW Medical Center-Montlake

UW Medical Center-Northwest

One hospital, 2 campuses; UW Medical Center-Northwest is a community-based center about 20 minutes north of Montlake. Our residents rotate here during the R2, R3, and R4 years where they do high volume, bread and butter general surgery cases in a 1:1 apprenticeship model. The UW Medicine Hernia Center is based at the Northwest campus where it attracts both routine hernia patients and those requiring complex abdominal wall reconstruction. Explore UW Medical Center-Northwest

Fred Hutch Cancer Center

The Fred Hutch Cancer Center is listed as one of the top 10 cancer centers in the U.S. (U.S. News and World Report). It is the No. 1 cancer hospital in the Pacific Northwest and Washington state's only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center. Fred Hutch Cancer Center research provides world-class cutting-edge approaches to cancer treatment and prevention. Their goal is to lead the world in translating scientific discovery into the prevention, treatment, and cure of cancer. Our residents participate in multi-disciplinary cancer clinics and Tumor Boards at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center at all levels of residency.

Harborview Medical Center

As the only designated Level I adult and pediatric trauma and regional burn center in the state of Washington, Harborview Medical Center serves as the regional trauma and burn referral center for Alaska, Montana and Idaho and the disaster preparedness and disaster control hospital for Seattle and King County. This 413-bed world-class teaching and research hospital is owned by the county and managed by the University of Washington. It is the home of Airlift Northwest. Harborview provides specialized care for a broad spectrum of patients from throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the most vulnerable residents of King County. Residents at all levels rotate at Harborview Medical Center onto typical university hospital surgical teams and work side by side with some of the most renowned traumatologists in the world. Rotations include: Burn, ED, Plastic Surgery, Thoracic, Trauma, Trauma SICU, and Vascular. Explore Harborview Medical Center

Seattle Children’s Hospital

Seattle Children’s is the only regional pediatric referral center devoted to the needs of children ages birth to 21 in the four-state area of Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho – the largest referral region of any children’s hospital in the country. Resident rotations at Seattle Children’s occur in the R1 and R3 years. Residents work closely with faculty on a typical university hospital team at the main campus. The R3 runs a sub-service giving them leadership opportunities. During the week, a resident may travel to the Seattle Children’s Bellevue or Everett surgical clinics working 1:1 with an attending for a full day of routine pediatric surgery cases. Explore Seattle Children’s Hospital

VA Puget Sound Health Care System

Since 1923, VA Puget Sound Health Care System has distinguished itself as a leader in teaching, research and patient care while earning prestigious recognition in serving the health care needs of more than 112,000 Veterans living in 14 counties around the Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest. With a reputation for excellence, innovation and extraordinary care of our Nation’s heroes, the VA Puget Sound Health Care System is a university level VA and a regional referral site for VA's northwest region, VA Puget Sound Health Care System provides care for Veteran populations encompassing Alaska, Montana, Idaho and Oregon. Our VA receives the second highest level of funding in the US. Residents rotate at the VA during their R1, R3 and R5 years on the General Surgery team. As R4s, the residents take a chief role on the Vascular Surgery team. Explore VA Puget Sound Health Care System

Rotations

The University of Washington program provides a rigorous and comprehensive experience with graduated responsibilities designed to produce the highest caliber surgeon. It is intellectually challenging with high expectations and standards for all trainees. Our comprehensive curriculum encompasses both didactics provided through a wealth of teaching conferences and focused technical instruction provided through open, laparoscopic and robotic technical laboratories.

First Year

Day one of the R1 year starts your journey from junior surgeon to independent surgeon. Focus areas include initial patient evaluation in the clinic, ICU and emergency room and operative and perioperative care across a wide variety of disciplines. Rotations include acute care surgery, trauma, surgical oncology, burns, colorectal, vascular, thoracic, and pediatric surgery. These services are rounded out with experiences in emergency room trauma, critical care, burn surgery, and plastic surgery. On all services, the R1 assists in operations on their patients and performs appropriate operative procedures. Our R1’s perform approximately 150 cases and procedures.

Second Year

The R2 concentrates on the fundamentals of critical care, with primary responsibility in the University of Washington CTICU and the Harborview Trauma ICU. Rotations on other services, such as transplant surgery, surgical oncology, acute care surgery, and vascular surgery and the general surgery service at Northwest Hospital broaden this experience. The R2 performs operative procedures that build on the skills learned in the first year. By the end of the R2 year our residents have performed over 350 cases, far exceeding the 250 minimum requirement.

Third Year

The R3 year commences the senior resident years. Residents spend the year solidifying general surgery experiences at the VA and UW Medical Center, where advanced laparoscopy and bariatric surgery is the focus. At Harborview, the R3 functions as the primary trauma surgery consultant and leads the trauma ward service in conjunction with a Chief resident. A rotation as a senior fellow in medical gastroenterology augments the R3’s knowledge and expertise in upper and lower GI endoscopy. The R3 also serves as the chief resident on the burn surgery, pediatric surgery and Northwest Hospital community general surgery rotations. These chief-level rotations introduce the R3 to administrative and team leadership roles.

Fourth Year

With the operative experience, leadership skills and surgical maturity gained during the R3 year, the R4 focuses on a more complex surgical experience. Rotations include hepatobiliary surgery, surgical oncology, endocrine, colorectal surgery and advanced laparoscopic surgery at UW and vascular surgery at the VA. On the Harborview trauma services the R4’s serve in the Chief role. A highpoint of the year is the elective rotation where residents get the opportunity to rotate with a service that focuses on a specialty of their choice. Examples include: Thoracic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Palliative Care, Breast Surgery, Transplant Surgery, and Rural Surgery at the Billings Clinic in Billings, MT.

Chief Year

The Chief resident year is the year where you assemble all the elements of your training and demonstrate to the faculty that you’re ready to become an independent surgeon. With the graduated responsibility and appropriate supervision provided from your first day in the program as a junior surgeon, our Chief residents exercise major responsibility in patient care, leadership, teaching, and administrative areas. Chief residents perform the most complex operative procedures and assume responsibility for the operative and supportive care of all surgical patients at each of our major teaching hospitals. As leaders in the program, they also participate extensively in the education of medical students and residents, clinical investigations, and in departmental and service administrative matters. Rotations include trauma, general surgery, acute care surgery, colorectal and surgical oncology. Our Chief Residents graduate with more than the required 850 cases.

Conferences

surgical conference audience

The UW Department of Surgery focuses on the development of the total surgeon in the three areas of intellect, skills and humanity. In addition to the usual bedside, clinic, and operating room teaching activities, more formal teaching conferences occur on two levels: department-wide and hospital-based.

Department-Wide

Grand Rounds
Department of Surgery Grand Rounds is held once per month at the University hospital. Speakers include national and international leaders in surgery as well as some of our own UW faculty. Residents have the opportunity to engage all visiting professors in roundtable discussions specifically designed for resident education.

Hospital-Based
Each of our teaching hospitals has a weekly QI Conference (aka ‘M&M’). We strongly believe that review of surgical outcomes and problem-based learning and improvement should be an ongoing pursuit that is woven into the fabric of a surgeon’s daily practice. For this reason, we incorporate review of NSQIP and Washington State SCOAP data into our weekly QI conferences. We also have a large selection of conferences at each hospital based on the clinical emphasis of its services. Some examples are listed below:

UW Medical Center-Montlake

QA/QI Conference (aka ‘M&M’)
Chairman’s Conference > Chair’s Breakfast. Chair meets with each residency class in an informal setting, focused on building community and understanding challenges.

UW Medical Center-Northwest

QA/QI Conference (aka ‘M&M’
Multidisciplinary Breast Conference- A review of pathology, imaging and oncologic options for upcoming cases

Harborview Medical Center

QA/QI Conference (aka ‘M&M’)
Trauma Conference – Monday. Presentations by faculty, fellows, residents on a variety of topics. (Lunch provided)
Trauma ICU Didactics – Tuesday AMs. Unofficially termed ‘Maier Rounds’ for Dr. Maier, overnight admissions presented to the Trauma service.

VA Hospital

QA/QI Conference (aka ‘M&M’)
GI Radiology conference
Surgery – Pathology conference
Angiography conference (Vascular Surgery service)

Seattle Children’s Hospital

QA/QI Conference (aka ‘M&M’)
Weekly didactic teaching conference
Pathology conference

Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Multidisciplinary Cancer Conferences – specific to Breast, Colorectal, Endocrine, Foregut, Liver, Lung, Pancreatic, and Sarcoma services. (Lunch provided)

Program-Led

Program Didactic Sessions and Surgical Skills

Our weekly didactic conference occurs every Wednesday and is attended by all residents in the General Surgery Program. The first hour is a case based presentation led by a faculty member with the second hour being a "How I Do It" or non-clinical topic (i.e.: financial planning, QA/QI, litigation, etc.) Junior skills sessions occur on the first Wednesday every month while the Senior skills sessions occur on the third Wednesday. Additionally, we have other courses that residents participate in such as robotic training and cadaver labs.:

Curriculum: custom curriculum based on ABS SCORE curriculum
The flipped classroom format is used. The topic is assigned in advance with an interactive, discussion-based format headed by a faculty member expert in that area.
Held at a central location. (Breakfast provided)

ABSITE Prep

Our Director of ABSITE and Board Review hosts weekly ABSITE prep sessions in the months leading up to ABSITE at the end of January. They focus both on high-yield topics and also test taking strategies.

The Forum

In 2019, a group of residents identified an interest in bringing the DoS surgical community together and stimulate opportunities for active mentorship between the DoS residents, fellows, and faculty. The Fourm aims to create a mutually supportive and safe environment to discuss both the eustress and distress encountered by both junior (trainees) and senior (faculty) surgeons, such as difficult instances of patient care, challenging professional experiences, or unique demands we face along the continuum of our surgical careers. The group also aims to build a greater sense of community and improve communication between faculty and residents within our department while fostering a positive environment for inquiry and discussion.

Simulation Training

The WWAMI Institute for Simulation in Healthcare (WISH) is University of Washington’s state-of-the-art simulation center for health education. Our center was one of the first Level 1 ACS accredited simulation labs in the United States. WISH was spearheaded by leaders in the Department of Surgery in 2007, and under the influence of our multidisciplinary faculty has expanded to include a facilities at UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center. WISH is a unique resource for our residents that embodies the Department of Surgery’s commitment to innovation in medical education.

Our residents have 24/7 access to surgical equipment, suture material, laparoscopic trainers, and virtual reality modules. This ease-of-access has led our surgical residents to heavily utilize the simulation facilities for independent practice. Every year of training, surgical residents are able to visit WISH to advance their technical skills as part of a structured curriculum at each training level that includes modules in robotic and laparoscopic surgery, ultrasound imaging, endoscopy, central line and chest tube placement, surgical airway procedures and advanced trauma life support. These modules eventually lead to certification in Robotics, Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS), and Fundamentals of Endoscopy Surgery (FES). Very popular with our residents, is our annual Laparoscopic Rodeo and Robotic Olympics competitions, with prizes for the top performers.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH

Mentorship

Our Mentorship Program is designed to nurture and train each resident to achieve their full potential and personal career goals and place graduates into their top choices of fellowship and research programs or community practice. Interns are matched to a resident and faculty mentor. These mentors guide our residents in both personal and professional development as they evolve from junior surgeon to independent surgeon.

Global Surgery

The University of Washington has a strong tradition of participation in Global Health. The University of Washington Department of Global Health was founded in 2007 and is now well-established with renowned leadership. Several of our faculty have active partnerships with, or have previously worked at the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland. We are dedicated to providing residents with opportunities to build knowledge, share experiences, and gain skills in global surgery. The Global Surgery Track exists for those residents who plan to pursue an academic career in global surgery, however the department also offers many activities for all residents interested in global surgery.

The Global Surgery Track is available via the 7-year Research and 5-year Clinical Tracks. Most residents receive funding with an NIH Fogarty Award. Please let us know of your interest during the interview season. Applications are made from within the residency program.

Research

David Flum, MD, MPH
Vice Chair for Research

Grant O’Keefe, MD, MPH
Director, Resident Research

The University of Washington is listed among the top U.S. Public Universities and one of the top Universities in the world (Academic Ranking of World Universities). The UW School of Medicine is an internationally renowned research institution and regularly ranks in the top in the nation for NIH and extramurally funded research. It is in this context that our department can provide an extraordinary breadth of basic science, translational, clinical outcomes, health services research and global surgery opportunities. Learn more >>

We are committed to supporting residents with diverse research interests and mentor them to fulfill their personal and professional goals. Specific areas of investigative interest for our faculty members can be viewed on our Department of Surgery Research web section.

Training Tracks

We offer two different tracks aimed to tailor the training experience to each individual resident’s research and career goals.

7-Year Research Track
The 7-year Research Track is particularly designed for those individuals who desire to contribute to the advancement of basic, clinical or other surgical science over the span of their career.

Residents in our 7-year Research Track know on Match Day about their research plan and can begin thinking about their plans and working with mentors from day 1. Our Director of Resident Research and Associate Chair for Research provide robust mentorship in guiding our residents to a lab, starting with a September BBQ in the intern year. Learn more >>

Some other highlights:

Most residents spend 2 years in a dedicated research program, but an option to extend is available
Most residents obtain masters and even doctoral level degrees during this time. For those residents on T32 grants, tuition is included in the award.
Residents go out into the lab following the completion of the R3 year
Given the plethora of research-related resources available, over 95% of our residents perform their research at the University of Washington.
Residents are free to moonlight during the research years, provided it does not interfere with their research responsibilities.

Salary funding during the research years is primarily funded through extramural awards and NIH T32 training grants: Gastrointestinal Surgical Outcomes Research Postdoctoral Fellowship and the more basic/translational area of Biologic Response to Injury based at Harborview. Additional support is provided by the John and Helen Schilling Surgery Resident Research Endowment to cost share and maintain salary level at the appropriate PGY level.

The University of Washington is also home to countless NIH-funded T32 research fellowship programs. Our surgery residents have been extraordinarily successful in competing for these awards to include: cancer epidemiology, bioengineering, cardiology, vascular biology, gastroenterology, pediatric injury, palliative care, oncology and global surgery.

Additionally, there are a number of funded investigators and labs in both the Department of Surgery and partner departments offering opportunities to join ongoing, funded projects in pediatric surgery, congenital cardiac surgery, surgical oncology, breast cancer, transplant immunology, bioinformatics, health metrics, simulation and others.

5-Year Clinical Track
We are equally interested in superior applicants of all genres. Applicants who match into the Clinical Track at UW have very diverse backgrounds and we are equally excited about each resident:

MD/PhD’s with significant prior research experience. For these applicants, please be assured of our commitment to and resources to support your continued peripheral involvement in research during your clinical training years.
Residents who desire additional professional development opportunities for one or two years following the 5-year clinical training program in a 5+2 model. Several of past graduates have taken advantage of this pathway to successful careers in academia, global surgery or the community.
A commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces or Indian Health Services that limit training time.
Interest in community or rural surgical care. As the only university teaching hospital for the 5 state WWAMI region, the University of Washington is extremely committed to training superior surgeons that will provide high quality care in community or rural settings.

Residents complete training in 5 years and, if interested, can participate in clinical research through our CBATL, SORCE and HIPRC research units. These free resources are available for our residents to provide comprehensive research support services and assist with project design, IRB application, data analysis, presentation and grant funding.

Educational & Research Conferences

Harkins Symposium
In 1955 “The Society of the Golden Pouch,” a spoof surgical society, was established by residents to honor the Department of Surgery’s first Chairman, Henry N. Harkins, at a dinner celebrating his fiftieth birthday. The “founders” intended that the new society would disband at the end of the evening. The Harkins Society, as it was renamed, instead went on to become the Department’s Alumni Society. Its membership includes the Department of Surgery faculty, former residents, and fellows. Today, the Harkins Society is rich with tradition. In celebration, all faculty and residents of the Department of Surgery meet as a community every fall to have a day of educational lectures delivered by our faculty. In this way we celebrate the great breadth and depth of clinical expertise in our department.

Strauss Lecture
At the Department of Surgery Annual Strauss Lecture, the Strauss/Friedlander family, is carrying on the tradition established so many years ago by Dr. and Mrs. Alfred A. Strauss. Born in Germany in 1881, Dr. Strauss came to Colville, WA at the age of ten. An honor graduate of the University of Washington in 1904 and an outstanding member of the Alumni Association, he received the singular honor of the Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus in 1951. The annual Strauss Lecture is the concluding event to the Harkins Symposium. Prior Strauss lecturers represent the top figures in American surgery.

Resident Research Day & Schilling Lecture
The Department of Surgery Research Symposium and the Schilling Lectureship are made possible by a generous gift from the late Helen Schilling in honor of her husband Dr. John Schilling. The Schillings were deeply committed to teaching, scholarship and research and this event where residents showcase their research supported by faculty mentors–is a great aspect of their legacy. Every year the department meets together as a community to hear both residents and faculty present their research providing an opportune moment to reflect on both the phenomenal quality of research in the department. The Schilling Lecturers represent a distinguished group of scholars who join us as visiting faculty and help us to award prizes to the top resident presenters. It is with tremendous pride and gratitude that we carry on this tradition.

Annual Department of Surgery Education Seminar
Each spring the residents and faculty of the Department of Surgery gather together as a community for an afternoon focused on surgical education. Each year has a different topical focus. This is a time for us all to learn and grow as surgical educators.

LIVING IN SEATTLE

Salary and Benefits

An appointment at UW offers a wide range of benefits as part of your compensation package, including Medical, Dental and Long-term Disability options; matched retirement plans and investment programs; Vacation and sick leave benefits, wellness resources, work/life programs including on-site childcare, tuition-exemption for higher-education courses, and more!

The University of Washington School of Medicine Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) oversees wellness and benefits to all ACGME-accredited residency and fellowship training programs at UW, including general surgery. The GME homepage summarizes much of the information that follows.

Below are a few specific benefits that applicants often ask about.

Salary
July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024 (includes $6,000 per AY allowance)

Level	Annual Stipend	Monthly Rate
PGY1	$72,564	$6,047
PGY2	$75,120	$6,260
PGY3	$77,928	$6,494
PGY4	$80,964	$6,747
PGY5	$84,144	$7,012
PGY6	$87,768	$7,314
PGY7	$93,096	$7,758 + $225 Chief Allowance

Benefits
The University of Washington (UW) offers a wide range of benefits as part of your total compensation package:

Vacation: Non-clinical leave: 4 weeks.

Travel supported by the Department of Surgery preliminary photo

Seattle Surgical presentations for R1’s and R2’s, plus presenters
WA-State American College of Surgeons meeting for R3’s, plus presenters
American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress for R4s
Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS) travel fellowships are available each year, supported by the department
Papers or presentations developed as a result of work done in the clinical or basic science laboratory of an individual faculty

Transportation/Parking

The U-PASS provides residents with a variety of low-cost transportation options in the greater Puget Sound area.
In addition, there is a free shuttle service connecting the major training institutions which runs approximately every 15 minutes from 6am to 7pm Monday through Friday.
Pay Per Use Parking (PPUP) is required at UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center. The daily rate varies based on the number of times you park in a pay period.
Parking is provided for residents commuting to Wednesday education conferences and Grand Rounds.
Parking at the VA and Children’s Hospital is free!

Fitness Facility

All residents are eligible for membership to the University of Washington Intramural Activities Building (IMA). This facility is host to many indoor and outdoor activities including: studios for aerobic exercise, yoga and martial arts, rock climbing, archery, basketball, handball/racquetball courts, squash courts (International and North American), swimming pool, thirteen tennis courts (six night lighted), volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and a fitness center with over 300 pieces of free weights, cardio and single station weight machines. Memberships may be purchased on a single use, quarterly or annual basis.

Where do residents live?

Most residents live in one of the many neighborhoods that are walking or biking distance from one of our 7 training hospitals. Some of the popular areas are highlighted below, as are our major hospitals for orientation purposes. Whether you are looking for an apartment in the center of Seattle’s night life, a single-family home with a yard on a quiet street, or quick access to one of our parks, biking/running trails, or waterfronts, Seattle offers vibrant neighborhoods that make life outside the hospital even more enjoyable. Each neighborhood has a unique flare with a variety of places for residents to live, dine, and enjoy time outside the hospital.

Survey results from current trainees:

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what is your monthly rent or mortgage chart

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Of current residents...

61% live with a partner
26% have a platonic roommate
11% have children
42% have pets
65% have house plants

Will I need a car?

Consistently ranked as one of the best cities in the United States for both biking to work and public transit, many of our residents commute in various ways depending on the rotation they are on.
Almost all residents eventually get a personal vehicle, which not only facilitates commuting to our 7 training sites but makes weekend escapes to the surrounding state and national parks even easier.

2020-resident-how-do-you-get-to-work-chart-2

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Seattle Rankings:

#1 – City with the Best Outdoor Activities in the U.S.
#1 - Best Coffee City in America
#1 – Best Public Transportation in the U.S.
#1 – Biking City in the U.S.
Top 10 Most Walkable Cities in the U.S.
Top 10 Healthiest Places to Live in the U.S.
Top 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S.

Food and Dining

living in seattle

The food and drink scene in Seattle is exploding! You may have a hard time choosing where to eat, and there is something for every budget. Food trucks are everywhere serving up nearly anything you can think of. The website Seattlefoodtruck.com also provides a convenient locator. Many of these make stops close to Harborview for quick lunchtime eats! The restaurants in and around Seattle offer choices for every price point and preference. It seems that nearly every corner of the city boasts its own pho or ramen house, and the International District offers an array of Asian cuisines as well as beautiful markets and shops.

Each neighborhood in Seattle also has its own “urban village” with restaurants and bars lining the main street. The waters around Seattle provide an ample supply of fresh seafood, and many restaurants service locally sourced produce, meat, and dairy for a true farm-to- table experience. You can even eat well on a resident’s salary: several times per year, more than 150 restaurants participate in Seattle Restaurant Week where a 3-course meal is offered for $30.

If cooking at home is more your speed, there are plenty of options. The Pike Place Market is a can’t miss destination for all of your culinary needs, and most neighborhoods have weekly farmer’s markets offering seasonal produce, homemade cheese, farm fresh eggs, bread, and more. Check out seattlefarmersmarkets.org for more information.

gs residency living in seattle While the Pacific Northwest may be known for its expansive supply of craft breweries, there is also an expansive market of locally produced wine and spirits. Within several hours, you can drive east to either Walla Walla, WA, or south to the Willamette Valley in Oregon to visit vineyards where world renowned wine is produced. Alternatively, within 30 minutes of Seattle in the city of Woodinville are nearly 100 tasting rooms serving Washington wine. Distilleries in Seattle offer tours and tastings, as well.

Outdoor Activities

gs residency living in seattle

Seattle and the surrounding area provide unsurpassed opportunities for outdoor activities, whatever your passion, experience or skill level. Ask our residents about what to do on the water, in the mountains, or in the snow. They regularly sail, kayak, stand-up paddleboard, and fish: Aqua Verde Paddle Club Seattle Sailing Club

gs residency living in seattle

Within a short drive of Seattle, residents have access to the Cascade mountains which provide options for hiking and camping in the summer and snowshoeing and skiing in the winter: Washington Trails Association, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, San Juan Islands, Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass Summit at Snoqualmie/Alpental, and Mount Baker

Alternatively, embrace Seattle’s town pride and support the local sports teams: Mariners,
Seahawks, Sounders, Storm, and UW Husky Sports

Arts and Entertainment

Seattle is home to a diverse community and a wide variety of opportunities to explore arts and entertainment. If the performing arts interest you, there’s the Seattle Opera, Seattle Symphony, ACT theater, and Seattle Repertory Theater as well as Pacific Northwest Ballet.

For those who prefer visual art, Seattle offers the Seattle Art Museum, Asian Art Museum, Olympic Sculpture Park, Chilhuly Garden and Glass Museum, and the Frye Art Museum. Even the UW Campus features the Henry Art Gallery, displaying contemporary and modern art. The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, also on the UW campus, has an extensive collection of Native American artifacts and anthropological specimens to peruse.

Those with eclectic tastes will enjoy the Experience Music Project (EMP) Museum, the Museum of History & Industry, and the famous Seattle Gum Wall at Pike Place Market. For every major art gallery or theater, there are many more small galleries, performing spaces, film festivals, and of course, there’s the award-winning and ever-changing public art scene a little off the beaten path. In fact, Seattle is home to over 400 permanent public art works and nearly 3,000 portable works.

Community Life in our Department

When asked, “What’s the best thing about the UW Department of Surgery?” most people quickly answer: the people. Our people – faculty, residents, staff and our families – are awesome. They are intelligent, committed, driven, warm, generous, kind and fun! So, we try and spend time together as much as we can. We start with an intern welcome picnic and summer pancake breakfast. In August we have the Department of Surgery picnic. September starts our triannual resident socials sponsored by the department and the research resident BBQ. The Women-In-Surgery group (started by one of our residents) has monthly informal get-togethers at a faculty home where female faculty and residents (plus kids) hang out. Our annual holiday party is another all-department event that’s memorable each year. Of course, we have all the usual graduation events in the spring along with the resident Oyster Fry. But one of the UW highlights of the year is Ski Day!

History provided by Dr. Hugh Foy, Professor Emeritus: “Ski Day was initiated in Feb 1979 by Chairman, Dr. John Schilling. Dr. James Carrico was the Program Director. It was a time of transition and change; Harborview had been an “every other night” program and the crush of clinical volume, particularly at HMC where there was only one Chief resident was difficult to say the least. There was no food service in-house, only vending machines. Vacation was limited to 2 weeks. Harborview Medical Center “shifts” were typically 40 hours on, 8 off. The ER rotation was 27 hours on (24 hrs plus follow-up clinic) – 21 off. Salary was in the bottom 5th percentile nationally, and there was no such thing as meal reimbursement or parental leave. Faced with a high attrition rate and low morale, the residents met and drew up 14 significant issues that were felt to be critical for their continued ability to safely deliver care. In a “let them eat cake” astute political move, Schilling told Carrico to “buy them a keg, rent them a bus and send them skiing for a day.”

This event is held each year on President’s Day from 7am-7pm. It is supported by department funds and faculty good will and is a time to promote resident morale and camaraderie. Although the Department can no longer fund a keg, as an alcohol-free event, it still pays for the lift tickets.

CURRENT TRAINEES

ALUMNI

Graduates

Approximately 90% of our graduates enter fellowship programs, commonly matching to one of their top choices. Sixty percent eventually become academic faculty.

2022 Graduates

Sara Daniel, MD — Complex General Surgery Oncology Fellowship, Stanford
Mohini Dasari, MD, MS — Abdominal Transplant Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Alison Haruta, MD — Trauma and Critical Care Fellowship, MD Anderson
Dara Horn, MD, MS — Trauma and Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
David Miranda, MD, MS — Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital
Veeshal Patel, MD, MBA — Minimally Invasive and Foregut Surgery Fellowship, University of California, Irvine
Jamie Robinson, MD — Trauma and Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington

2021 Graduates

Tobi Afolayan, MD — Cardiothoracic Fellowship, Baylor University
Jamal Anyalebechi, MD — Cardiothoracic Fellowship, Beth Israel
Matthew Bartek, MD, MPH — Surgical Palliative Care Fellowship, The Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital Joint Program
Andrew Ludwig, MD — Private Practice, Evergreen Health
John Monu, MD, MPH — Cardiothoracic Fellowship: Oregon Health Sciences University
David Seo, MD — Complex General Surgery Oncology Fellowship, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Kathryn Stadeli, MD, MPH — Trauma and Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
Kevin Michael Sullivan, MD — Complex General Surgery Oncology Fellowship, City of Hope Cancer Center

2020 Graduates

Brian Cook, MD — Transplant Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Sarah Kolnik, MD, MPH — Trauma/Critical Care Fellowship, University of Kentucky
Vim Mahadev, MD — Trauma, Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
Amer Nassar, MD — Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship, Beth Israel Deaconess, Harvard Medical School
Francys Verdial Argueta, MD, MPH — Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Jay Zhu, MD — Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington

2019 Graduates

Ryan Abbaszadeh, MD - Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship, University of Virginia
Jeffrey Anderson, MD - Surgical Critical Care Burn Fellowship, University of Washington
Cameron Gaskill, MD, MPH - Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship, MD Anderson
Kevin Riggle, MD - Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, University of Louisville
Lucas Thornblade, MD, MPH - Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship, City of Hope National Medical Center
Cordelie E. Witt, MD, MPH - Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Acute Care Surgery Fellowship, University of Colorado

2018 Graduates

Annie Ehlers, MD, MPH — Minimally Invasive Surgical Fellowship, University of Washington
Katy Flynn-O’Brien, MD, MPH — Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Lacey LaGrone, MD, MPH — Trauma, Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
Brodie Parent, MD, MS — Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh
Morgan Richards, MD, MPH — Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, Emory University
Ravi Sood, MD, MS — Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship, Harvard University
Barclay Stewart, MD, PhD, MPH — Trauma, Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
Estell Williams, MD — Academic Practice, University of Washington

2017 Graduates

Meghan Flanagan, MD, MPH — Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Bijiibaa’ Garrison, MD — Private Practice Alaska Native Hospital, Anchorage AK
Jason Hurd, MD — Vascular Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Victoria Lao, MD, PhD — Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship, Cleveland Clinic, Florida
Andrew Mesher, MD, MPH — Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship at University of Colorado, Denver
Jonathan Sham, MD — Surgical Oncology Fellowship, Johns Hopkins University
Vlad Simianu, MD, MPH — Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship, University of Minnesota
Gabriel Wallace, MD — Vascular Surgery Fellowship, Northwestern University

2016 Graduates

Analisa Armstrong, MD — Franciscan Advanced Laparoscopy Fellowship, Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery, Tacoma WA
Timo Hakkarainen, MD, MPH — Endocrine and Metabolic Surgery Fellowship, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Meera Kotagal, MD, MPH — Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
Lara Oyetunji, MD, MPH – John Hopkins School of Public Health, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Rebecca Plevin, MD — Trauma Surgery/Critical Care Fellowship, University of California, San Francisco
Jarod McAteer, MD, MPH — Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC

2015 Graduates

Greta Bernier, MD – Colorectal Surgery Fellowship, University of South Florida
Frederick Thurston Drake, MD, MPH – Endocrine Fellowship, University of California, San Francisco
Colleen O’Kelly Priddy, MD – Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship, University of California, Los Angeles
Sabrina Sanchez, MD, MPH – Critical Care Fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Amelia Simpson, MD – Trauma/Critical Care Fellowship, University of California, San Diego
Nicole Zern, MD – Endocrine Fellowship, Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia
Callie Thompson, MD, MPH – Burn/Trauma/Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington

2014 Graduates

Darren Bowe, MD – Trauma/Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
David Brown, MD, PhD – Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Duke University
Damien Carter, MD – Burns/Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
Steve Kwon, MD, MPH – Surgical Oncology Fellowship, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Josh Mourot, MD – Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Daniel Mulloy, MD – Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship, University of Virginia
Patrick Phelan, MD, MPH – Vascular Surgery Fellowship, University of Wisconsin

2013 Graduates

Shahram Aarabi, MD – Vascular Surgery at Valley Hospital/Trauma/Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
Dante Conley, MD – General Surgery, Tanana Valley Clinic, Fairbanks, Alaska
Giana Davidson, MD, MPH – General Surgery Faculty, University of Washington
Andre Ilbawi, MD – Surgical Oncology Fellowship, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Arjun Jayaraj, MD, MPH, MHP – Vascular Surgery Fellowship, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Jonathan Kohler, MD, MPH – Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Katie Moreno, MD – Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Samantha Quade, MD – Colorectal Surgery Fellowship, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri

2012 Graduates

Elizabeth Fitzsullivan, MD – Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Samuel Mandell, MD, MPH – Burn & Trauma/Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
Nader Massarweh, MD, MPH – Surgical Oncology Fellowship, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Anton McCourtine, MD – General Surgery, Wenatchee Valley Clinic
Martin Montenovo, MD – Transplant Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Heather Wheeler, MD – General Surgery, Valley Medical Center

2011 Graduates

Jonathan Friedstat, MD – Burns Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital (11-12)/ Plastic Surgery Fellowship, University of North Carolina (12-13)
Darren Hess, MD, PhD – General Surgery, Wenatchee, WA
Aaron Jensen, MD, MEd – Pediatric Surgical Critical Care, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (11-12) / Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (12-13)
John Keech, MD – Thoracic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis
Oliver Lao, MD, MPH – Pediatric Surgery, Omaha Children’s & Nebraska Medical Center
Abhijit Shaligram, MD – Minimally Invasive Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center

2010 Graduates

Ellen Cooper, MD – Acting Instructor, UW
Farhood Farjah, MD, MPH – Thoracic Surgery Fellowship, Memorial Sloan Kettering
Erin Gilbert, MD – Laparoscopic Surgery Fellowship, Oregon Health Sciences University
Christine Jensen, MD, MPH – Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship, University of Illinois, Chicago
Yong Kwon, MD – Laparoscopic Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Sherene Shalhub, MD, MPH – Vascular Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Patrick Wolf, MD – Surgical Oncology Fellowship, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

2009 Graduates

Matt Crouthamel, MD – Minimally Invasive Surgery, Puget Sound Surgery Center
Christian Hamlat, MD – Trauma & Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
Kate Mandell, MD, MPH – Trauma & Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington
Heather Merry, MD – Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Juan Parra, MD – Academic Surgical Practice, University of Washington
Elina Quiroga, MD – Vascular Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Dan Suver, MD – Plastic Surgery Residency, University of Washington
Joe Woodward, MD – Plastic Surgery Residency, University of California at San Francisco

2008 Graduates

Matthew Agnew, MD, MPH – Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Ilan Avin, MD, MPH – Surgical Oncology Fellowship, University of Toronto
Patrick Combs, MD – Plastic Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Rachel Lundgren, MD – Vascular Surgery Fellowship, University of Washington
Kimberly Riehle, MD – Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, Children’s Hospital Boston
Erik Van Eaton, MD, MS – Trauma/Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington

2007 Graduates

Alex Farivar, MD – Thoracic Surgery Fellowship, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Ani Fleisig, MD, MPH – Laparoscopic Fellowship, UW (07-08) / Surgical Oncology Fellowship, John Wayne Cancer Institute (08-09)
Allan Haynes, MD – Advanced GI Surgery Fellowship, UW
Deborah Marquardt, MD – Surgeon for the United States Navy
Beth Ann Reimel, MD – Pancreatic Cancer Research, UW (07-09) / Endocrine Surgery Fellowship, Columbia University Medical Center (09-10)
Hiroo Takayama, MD – Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship, Columbia University Medical Center

Alumni Statements

Many graduates write to us and here’s what they have to say about our residency training program. One of the reasons we keep the older comments is to show: we continue to train the same superior surgeon!

“My training at UW has prepared me extremely well for this job… the amazing ICU experience I had as a resident, the responsibility of making critical decisions in sick patients at Harborview and UW, as well as the amount of independence we had as senior residents and the problem-solving skills we learned, all helped in preparing me for this Pediatric Surgery fellowship spot.”

Chong, MD – ’05

“Set aside the outstanding clinical experiences at university, veterans, children, county, and private hospitals. Set aside the research opportunities at one of the highest NIH funded schools in the country. Set aside world-renowned faculty and some of the best residents in the country. What are you left with? One of the most beautiful cities in the world with salt water 3 minutes away, incredible skiing one hour away, a downtown full of culture, a university with endless events, and a view of Mt. Rainier turning pink at sunset. Come to UW!”

Sullivan, MD – ’07

"I am a current Chief Resident, and in fact, am a PGY-10! I graduated from a medical school in Japan and finished my FIRST surgical residency there. Having heard of the excellence in surgical education in the US, I decided to seek further training in this country. In my SECOND residency at the UW, learning opportunities were everywhere. There were always enthusiastic attendings who were eager to teach at the bedside and in the OR. I just confirmed the nationwide reputation of the UW program when I was going through the interviews this spring for my Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship and I’m pleased to have matched at Columbia Presybterian. I am proud to be one of the residents in this excellent program.”

Takayama, MD – ’07

“Fellowship is treating me well. People at MSKCC are all fantastic – attendings, the other fellows, great people. While it has only been a few months, I’ve had the opportunity to work and operate with several different attendings and I can honestly say that from a clinical and technical perspective, UW did a fantastic job of preparing me. I’ve seen Farhood obviously and I get the same sense from him. I hope the rest of the current residents and future applicants realize how well they are trained. Not blowing smoke either, the program really is top notch.”

Wolf, MD – ’10

“The residents and faculty at the UW treat each other in a respectful and friendly manner. They embrace the notion of work hard, play hard. The city offers great food, music, art, and culture. Surrounded by water and mountains, plenty of outdoor opportunities await you. Working at five hospitals, each with their distinctive patient population, provides you with both volume and diversity with respect to clinical cases. Didactics are mandatory, well directed, and relevant. The research opportunities are limitless and most importantly the faculty are open-minded in this regard. Can I think of a better program? No!”

Farjah, MD – ’10

“I’ve partnered up with the only fellowship trained laparoscopic surgeon in the area doing both general and bariatric surgery out of four private hospitals. Starting this practice, I now have realized the true value of our residency. I honestly feel so over-prepared to take on any clinical problems with any patients it’s really satisfying. This is both in and out of the OR. My fellowship was personally necessary given that most of what I do daily is done laparoscopically, but our ICU experience and the overall open surgical training in and out of the OR is now serving as my backbone… With the training from our program, I can proudly tell you that residency was easily worth it and more.”

Kwon, MD – ’11

“Thoracic fellowship has been amazing, and I could not be happier at WashU. Through all the ups and downs of residency, the skills I obtained have paid amazing dividends. Through observation alone, not everyone starts fellowship at the same level, and one of the most critical aspects of my general surgery training that kept me above the pack was the independent thinking, decision making and troubleshooting that I learned at the University of Washington. We all develop great technical skills in the end, but this mentality instilled a certain confidence that often goes underappreciated. You can’t realize this often until you leave your comfort zone (residency) and go somewhere else, and you then realize that you can deal with or troubleshoot pretty much everything. You become the go-to guy in the minds of the attendings because they can trust you to do the right thing. I know residents focus so much on case numbers, and they are important, but there is so much more to it than that. I want to work with people who make the right decision, know how to troubleshoot, think on their feet, and are good surgeons. This is what the University of Washington does extremely well.”

Keech, M.D. ’12

“Now that I’ve been away from UW for a few months, and had a chance to see what my training has done for me, and the sort of surgeon it has made me, I’m writing to say, with more vigor and enthusiasm than these words can ever capture: thank you…. It’s certainly been true that I feel at home in the operating room and no one here is asking me to do things that I can’t do, and in most cases haven’t done many times before. What’s totally blown me away, in retrospect, is not the way that I was trained to operate, but the way that I was taught to think… time and time again I’ve found that I am the one — among a cast of residents, fellows, and attendings — who knows the literature on how to manage problems, optimize patient care, and minimize errors. All the exercises that sometimes seemed tedious as a resident have given me an outstanding foundation as a fellow… all were essential to making me the doctor I am, and, I’m finding, are hardly universal in training programs everywhere. The biggest struggle I’m having here is finding my way in a place where, to a surprising degree, dogma beats data. But already I’ve been able to use the strength of thought, analysis, questioning, and hardheaded determination that the UW bred into me to get some things changing. … It’s going to be a long process, but there is a lot of low-hanging fruit that my UW training makes easy to pick. Such things are hard to measure, of course, but the more I use what I learned in Seattle, the more I’m convinced of something I never really doubted: that we are the finest general surgery residency in existence. I couldn’t be prouder to know that I’ll always be able to say I’m UW trained.”

J.E. Kohler, MD – ’13

“I knew going into the match that the University of Washington was a truly excellent surgery program and that I would get top notch surgical training there. What I didn’t know at the time was how supportive and encouraging the entire program would be from a personal standpoint. I know that the culture of any organization starts at the top, and I appreciate you for creating such a challenging and supportive environment to train in. I could not be happier with my choice. Thank you for all of your help.”

Mulloy, MD – ‘14

“This email has been a long time coming. I have thought of you so many times over the past year I can't even count them all. Every day I am grateful for the incredible training experience I had at the UW. So many surgeons' voices whisper in my head as I operate. I have felt prepared for every type of case, all patient situations and even the intangible interactions with nurses, techs, other services and patient families. I am officially a board-certified general surgeon and what an accomplishment that was. Receiving that news was more rewarding than any other result I have ever received. I know that would not have been possible without all the labor and love that everyone in Seattle gave freely to me over my 8 years of training. I love my life here in Atlanta. I couldn't be happier with the career choice I have made. I constantly feel humbled and fortunate that I get to call this "work." One of the neonatologists recently said she has never seen a Peds Surg fellow smile as much as I do, but how can I not with a career this rewarding? I just started my senior fellow year and there is nothing like it. Purple and Gold run through my veins as I have made some changes as the senior fellow (afternoon rounds on patients rather than just computer rounds, clinic each week, etc). You took a chance on me nearly 10 years ago and I could not be more thankful. Thank you again for all that you did to shape me into the surgeon and person I am today.”

M. Richards, MD, MPH – ‘18

HOW TO APPLY

Recruitment & Selection

We interview approximately 80 candidates each year for 7 positions from across the U.S. We do not prefer applicants from any geographic region of the country and rather enjoy welcoming residents from across the spectrum of the north/south/east/west. We train graduates of all medical schools based strictly on their qualifications. Each application is reviewed in its entirety with an interest in diverse candidates demonstrating overall academic excellence, personal character, strong values, altruism, work experience, proven leadership ability, and career development potential.

As part of our commitment to training future leaders in surgery, we recognize the importance of diversity in maintaining excellence in education, advocacy, and research. We encourage applicants from URiM backgrounds to apply to our program as we support our University’s mission to further our community through diversity and inclusion. Interested diversity applicants might also wish to consider our Carlos A. Pellegrini Diversity Visiting Subinternship.

Virtual Q&A Sessions

Since recruitment season has gone virtual this year, we know getting to know a program is harder. We are hosting a series of VIRTUAL VISITS to help answer questions you may have and to give you a better sense of our program. If you are unable to join us for a VIRTUAL VISIT, they can be viewed on our YouTube channel.

Application Process & Dates

UW Department of Surgery participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), hosted by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

We do not accept paper applications.

On the same day in early November, we email everyone who applies to our program with a decision. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible for us to extend an interview to all qualified applicants.

Residency positions for the General Surgery program at the University of Washington are matched via the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

NRMP number for the 5-year Clinical Track categorical position is 1918440C0
NRMP number for the 7-year Research Track categorical position is 1918440C1

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply to and rank both the Clinical (5-year) and Research (7-year) Categorical tracks.

For NRMP numbers for our Preliminary Surgery Program please visit those webpages.

Interview Day Process

2025 Match Interview Dates

Friday, December 6, 2024
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Friday, January 24, 2025

Virtual Interviews

For those who accept an invitation to interview with our program, we hope to make your virtual interview a valuable and educational experience. We will be hosting all our interviews via Zoom. Further information and scheduling details will be emailed to you.

After our interview, we welcome feedback and communication. Please note that our preferred mode of communication is e-mail and we kindly ask that you do NOT send any hand-written letters or cards. In sticking to the true ‘green’ spirit of the Pacific Northwest, we strongly encourage all our applicants to save a tree and be paper-free!

Because of the binding nature of the match, it is important that you are familiar with the conditions and requirements of our program before ranking us. Our Residency Position Appointment Agreement and its addendum detail the terms and conditions of residency at the University of Washington. Please follow this link to review information regarding Prospective Residents and familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions of residency at the University of Washington.

International Medical Graduates

Foreign Nationals

Foreign nationals that are selected to interview with our program will be provided with a list of documents/data that will be required by our GME Office.

Policy For Student VISA Holders

The University of Washington has a new visa policy requirement for students that are currently on F-1 student visas. In the event you match with the University of Washington General Surgery residency program, your F-1 visa will convert to an Optional Practice Training (OPT) for the R1 year.

In the past, residents on OPT would then apply for a H-1B visa. The University hopes to continue to provide H-1B visas to residents on OPT. However, we cannot guarantee this process will continue in the future.
Assuming H1-B visas will continue to be offered to OPT students, the new visa policy requires that we receive pre-approval from our GME office and the International Service offices in order to place you on our rank list.

Certificate Program for International Medical Graduates

Each year the Department of Surgery at the University of Washington offers 3 visiting sub-internship positions to international medical graduates who are interested in pursuing a position in our residency program. These sessions take place in December-January, February-March, and April-May.

SURG CP688 P-Subinternship in General Surgery for International Physicians – 8 weeks

The objective of this course is to permit the international physician to work in a US teaching hospital as well as further develop knowledge of surgical disease and enhance the ability to manage comprehensively the problems encountered in surgical patients. Physicians will function at the intern level under close supervision of the staff and housestaff. Diagnosis, preoperative care and postoperative care will be stressed. The management of surgical emergencies and outpatient follow-up of discharged patients will be included. The subintern will attend some operative procedures on their assigned patients and will participate in all rounds and teaching conferences. This course will provide an opportunity for the physicians to perfect clinical skills in dealing with medical as well as surgical problems and will permit the physician to assume added responsibility. This program will be for preparation for participation in the UW surgical residency programs. Successful graduates of this program will be considered for a one or two-year non-designated preliminary residency position in the Department of Surgery. Physicians will spend a minimum of 160 contact hours participating in this program and will participate daily for the entire 8-week period. Physicians in our International Physician’s Certificate Program will receive 16 continuing education units and a certificate upon successful completion of the program. Certificates will be awarded by the University of Washington at the end of the academic year.

Prerequisites

To be eligible to enroll in this course you must meet the following qualifications:

Current ECFMG certification (issued since 2000) in all three areas of the exam.
USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores of 220 or better on each. The exam(s) must have been taken in the last three years and you must have passed all parts of the exam (including clinical knowledge and clinical skills) on the first attempt. Official USMLE transcripts are required. USMLE score reports will not be accepted. You may request your transcripts by contacting ECFMG.
A medical degree earned in the last seven years (if your degree is older than 7 years, you do not qualify for this program).
Attestation that you have not been subject to review, challenges, and/or disciplinary action, formal or informal, by an ethics committee, licensing board, medical disciplinary board, professional association or education/training institution (if you have, you do not qualify for this program).
Valid certification of US citizenship, landed immigrant status, or qualify for an F-1 student visa.
You are planning to apply for a residency position at the University of Washington (we do not accept applicants that do not intend to apply to our program). Please note that this is not a prerequisite to apply but we do want to ensure that those interested in applying have the opportunity to participate in this program.
Three letters of recommendation from people familiar with your clinical patient care skills and potential to function as a resident.
Excellent expressive and receptive English skills. Some past participants have not been successful solely because their English was not adequate.

Tuition for the course is $4332 + $55 application fee, which includes the required registration fee and the cost of immigration support. The full amount is due at the time of registration. Tuition is subject to change on annual basis and is regulated by the University of Washington.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND APPLICATION OR REGISTRATION FEE WITH YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.

Application

Please submit the following documents in the order listed by mail:

UW Dept of Surgery Coversheet (Please fill out this form.)
Copy of current ECFMG certificate
Official USMLE transcript with Step 1 & 2 scores (score reports will not be accepted)
Copy of medical school transcript
Current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume
Written statement explaining your career goals and why you are seeking this opportunity
Three letters of recommendation
COMPLETE applications must be sent via regular or express mail as below. Application materials sent via email are not acceptable.

Regular Mail (includes USPS Priority w/ Delivery Confirmation)
Joanna Ames
University of Washington
Department of Surgery
Box 356410
1959 NE Pacific Street
Seattle, WA 98195-6410 USA

Express Mail (FedEx/UPS)
Joanna Ames
University of Washington
Department of Surgery
Room BB-487
1959 NE Pacific Street
Seattle, WA 98195-6410 USA

Thank you for your interest in the program and we look forward to receiving your application. Please direct all questions to Joanna Ames / james17@uw.edu.

PLEASE NOTE: All documents must be received before your application will be sent to the Program Director for review. You will receive an email confirming that your application was received and submitted. The review process takes approximately 4-8 weeks, after which you will be notified via email regarding your acceptance. We ask that you do not contact our office to inquire about the status of your application.