Office of Surgical Education
Educating the Future of Surgery
The Office of Education serves as the central hub for pre-medical students, medical students, residents, and fellows to explore our comprehensive surgical training opportunities across clinical care, simulation, and research.
Clinical Training
Learners have access to rotations across all surgical divisions, including general surgery, surgical oncology, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, urology, plastic surgery, and transplant surgery. These experiences provide broad exposure to diverse patient populations, operative techniques, and multidisciplinary care.
Simulation Training
Our ACS-AEI–accredited Simulation Lab offers hands-on, skills-based training in a high-fidelity environment. Programs are designed to support learners at every stage, from foundational skills to advanced procedural practice.
Surgical Education Research Fellowship
Our two-year Surgical Education Research Fellowship is a nationally distinctive program that includes funded tuition for a Master’s in Health Professions Education. Fellows receive dedicated mentorship, engage in scholarly projects, and develop the skills necessary for careers in academic surgery and educational leadership.
We invite you to explore our programs and join us in advancing excellence in surgical education.
Message From Our Associate Vice Chair
We in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah are committed to excellence within the education mission and believe that surgical education must be approached with intention.
The current environment of medical education, overlaid with the complexities of modern healthcare, requires a thoughtful and innovative approach to optimize student and resident learning and achievement.
We support all of our teaching faculty and career educators through our Section of Education and are committed to advancing the field of surgical education with this community of educators.
Medical Students
The Department of Surgery’s Office of Education is pleased to welcome our medical students and support them throughout their clinical training. The Department of Surgery’s team of dedicated surgical educators facilitate medical education in surgery through several foundational educational programs including the Surgery Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC), Advanced Surgery, and Sub-Internships (Sub-I), to help ensure an efficient and meaningful clinical learning experience. In addition to these core programs, we assist students in exploring a wide range of opportunities, including research, mentorship, elective rotations, clinical shadowing, visiting student rotations, and global health experiences. Our goal is to help medical students navigate these options, connect with faculty and clinical sites, and take full advantage of the many educational opportunities available at the University of Utah.
SEAD
In order to provide students with a broad exposure to surgical specialties we will be offering the Surgical Exploration and Discovery (SEAD) program.
Each day, you will rotate with a different surgical subspecialty. There are several lab opportunities to increase hands on skills as well. This year we have the following surgical services participating: Trauma/General Surgery, Burn Surgery, Colorectal, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Surgical Oncology- Gastrointestinal, Surgical Oncology- Melanoma/Breast, Surgical ICU, and Urology. Students will spend time rounding with services, in the OR and in clinics.
This program is geared toward students who are considering a career in surgery and who would like more broad exposure. Priority is given to students who can participate fully each day for the 2 weeks. Missing dates will not be possible.
IMMERSION:
Students will integrate into the team and learn inpatient surgical care for 2 consecutive weeks. Surgery teams typically involve multiple levels of intern/resident and potentially multiple attendings and advance practice providers. Responsibilities may include Pre rounding, wound care, seeing consults, operating room experience, and clinic. Students will have an operating room orientation including scrubbing, gowning, gloving, suturing and knot tying. Rosie Ludlow and Dr. Kirstyn Brownson in the Department of Surgery assign these placements.
IMMERSIONS SERVICES:
UTES Trauma, Colorectal, SOGIE (Surgical Oncology, Gastrointestinal, Endocrine), IMC General Surgery, Veterans Administration, Primary Children's, Burn, Transplant, Thoracic, Head and Neck, Plastics, Pediatric Urology, Vascular.
LONGITUDINAL PRECEPTOR: Students are paired with a surgeon for their 1:1 mentorship for the entire year. Students generally spend 4-5 half days per month with their preceptor in the OR and clinic. Your LIC coordinator will create this pairing—if you have questions, please contact your LIC coordinator.
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Advanced Surgery: Contacts: Admin Rosie Ludlow / Dr. Kirstin Brownson
Advanced Surgery students will be on weekly rotations M-F with one week of night trauma rotations, opportunities to attend EKG sessions, SIM sessions, a Cadaver Lab and an opportunity for a master clinical observer session.
Advanced Surgery Services: UTES Trauma, Colorectal, SOGIE (Surgical Oncology, Gastroenterol Intestinal, Endocrine), IMC General Surgery, Veterans, Primary Children's, Burn, Transplant, Thoracic, Head and Neck, Plastics, Adult Urology, Vascular.
- Core Sub Internships
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General Surgery: Contact: Dr. Chris LaChapelle
Provide experience in the management of surgical patients with emphasis on learning skills necessary to be successful as a surgical intern and exposure to operative management of surgical diseases. The student will function as an intern under the supervision of surgical residents and faculty and be responsible for admission workups, daily progress notes and orders. The student will participate in didactic conferences, journal club, and other educational activities based on the service rotation.
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Adult Urology: Contact: Dr. Sara Lenherr
The Urology Core Sub-Internship is a 4-week immersive course in which students expand their fund of knowledge and clinical skills during a rigorous clinical experience in which patient care responsibilities, workload, and work hours closely parallel those of a resident intern in the specialty.
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Plastic Surgery: Contact Dr. Isak Goodwin
The Plastic Surgery Core Sub-Internship is a 4-week immersive course in which students expand their fund of knowledge and clinical skills during a rigorous clinical experience in which patient care responsibilities, workload, and work hours closely parallel those of a resident intern in the specialty.
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Vascular Surgery: Contact Dr. Chris Audu
The Vascular Surgery Core Sub-Internship is a 4-week immersive course in which students expand their fund of knowledge and clinical skills during a rigorous clinical experience in which patient care responsibilities, workload, and work hours closely parallel those of a resident intern in the specialty.
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- Electives:
- Pediatric CT: Contact: Dr. Nicolas Contreras Admin Anna Dalton
- Introduction to Vascular Surgery: Contact Dr. Chris Audu
- Introduction to Clinical Plastic Surgery: Contact: Admin Kallie Handy Roxxi Jimenez / Dr. Isak Goodwin
- Intro to Clinical CT Surg Contact: Dr. Nicolas ContrerasA Admin Hillary Smith
- Integrated Elective in Breast Disease: Contact: Admin Rosie Ludlow / Dr. Kristyn Brownson
- Intro to clinical Problems in Pediatric Surgery: Admin Elizabeth Lignell / Dr. Maren Shipe
- Intro to Global Health and Innovation: Global Health Education Team
- Critical Care: Burn ICU, SICU, CVICU Contact: Admin Jasmine McWilliams
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Advising
Dr. Thomas Shoultz/ Admin Molly Collings
Dr. Shoultz is happy to meet with any level of U of U medical student who is considering a career in general surgery or related field.
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Student Interest groups
General Surgery - Reed Noyd (reed.noyd@hsc.utah.edu), Jackson Aubrey (jackson.aubrey@hsc.utah.edu)
Women in Surgery - Rose Domonoske (rose.domonoske@hsc.utah.edu)
Cardiothoracic - Valeriya Vasenina (valeriya.vasenina@hsc.utah.edu), Tyler Staten (Tyler.Staten@hsc.utah.edu)
Plastics -none
Urology - Olivia Rodriguez (olivia.rodriguez@hsc.utah.edu)
Vascular - Silvia Soule (Silvia.Soule@hsc.utah.edu)
USTARS
The University of Utah School of Medicine Departments of Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Otolaryngology are proud to host the Utah Summer Training Academy for Rising Stars (USTARS) Program which is focused on US medical students who are interested in academic surgery or anesthesiology. Students must have completed an accredited MD or DO program.
This is a robust 6-week summer program structured around professional identity development, perioperative and intraoperative skills development, exposure to clinical care, and understanding of research principles. This program has two distinct pathways tailored toward candidates interested in Surgery or Anesthesiology. Two candidates will participate in the anesthesiology track while the other students will participate in the surgery track based on their declared interest.
US POST CLERKSHIP STUDENT
VSLO process- Applications open APRIL 1st each year
Additional U of U specific information can be found here:
- Each Shadower must be over 17 years of age.
- The total number of hours to be spent shadowing a provider in the Department of Surgery in 12 months may not exceed 12 hours.
- Each Shadower is strictly limited to observing patient care and will not participate in patient care in any way.
- Each Shadower must obtain written consent from the provider/physician that they would like to shadow.
- When a Shadower is present during patient care, the patient must be notified in advance and will have the opportunity to object.
- When a patient consents to have a Shadower present during a care encounter, this consent must be documented in the patient’s chart.
- Any protected health information (PHI) shared or communicated while a Shadower is present must be the minimum amount necessary to facilitate appropriate care delivery.
- A Shadower may not retain any written or electronic PHI (e.g., notes or photocopies) from the shadowing engagement.
- A Shadower will not disclose any PHI they observed or heard while participating in the shadowing engagement.
- This application must be approved by all appropriate parties at least two months before the shadowing engagement begins.
Approved individuals are allowed to observe a University of Utah Health workforce member for a maximum of 12 hours per department per year.
If you do not have a specific physician identified, please fill out this form
If you DO have a specific physician identified, please fill out this form
- International Visiting (Global Health Edu) students will need a preceptor with a placement opportunity. If you DO NOT have a named faculty sponsor, please fill out this interest form: Global Health Student Form
If you DO have a named faculty sponsor, then please reach out to the global health team to complete processes.
Contact: uughe@hsc.utah.edu
CLINICAL RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIPS (GME)
SURGICAL RESIDENCIES
SURGICAL FELLOWSHIPS
CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
PEDIATRIC SURGERY
SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
TRANSPLANTATION
VASCULAR
SURGICAL EDUCATION RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
At the University of Utah, we are passionate about surgical education research. In this fellowship, trainees will gain the ability to become independent surgical education investigators through intensive mentorship by faculty and project-based learning on high-impact research projects. We strive to seek educational and scientific answers to advance surgical education and create the next generation of surgical education leaders.
SIMULATION LAB
The University of Utah Simulation Lab is an American College of Surgeons (ACS) accredited educational institute dedicated to excellence in surgical education through simulation-based learning. Our goal is to provide a supportive, innovative environment where learners can develop, practice, and refine essential technical skills and surgical competence.
The Simulation Lab is an official testing center for Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES) and Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS), offering standardized curricula, proctored examinations, and structured practice opportunities for learners at multiple levels of training.
The simulation lab is located in the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, Room 26 on the basement level. Surgical residents have 24/7 badge access.
The simulation lab offers a wide range of skills stations:
- Arterial line placement
- Laerdal arterial arm
- Advanced Training in Laparoscopic Suturing (ATLAS)
- ATLAS trainer helps prepare surgeons for all forms of laparoscopic surgery, including those where the angle of view and allowance of suturing space is more restrictive.
- Facilitates six task modules that act as a benchmark for minimally invasive training and progression:
- Needle handling and positioning
- Forehand suturing
- Backhand suturing
- Confined space suturing
- Suturing under tension
- Continuous suturing
- Biopsy punch
- Bowel anastomosis
- Camera navigation
- Karl Storz camera and tele pack +
- Central line placement
- Chest tube insertion
- Cricothyroidotomy
- Endo stitch
- Covidien Endo Stitch trainer
- Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES)
- For more information about FES testing including testing and test centers, please visit Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery - Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery
- Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS)
- For more information about FLS including testing and test centers, please visit About - Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery
- Intramuscular injection
- Intraosseous insertion
- Intubation and airway management (oral and nasal)
- IV insertion
- Laerdal IV insertion arm
- Knot tying
- Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LCDBE) trainer
- LCBDE is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to remove stones (choledocholithiasis) from the common bile duct (CBD).
- 3-D Med LCBDE trainer is used for practicing common bile duct exploration using laparoscopic and simulated fluoroscopic views.
- Robotic trainer
- The da Vinci SimNow Simulator is the console that interacts with the da Vinci systems to provide a virtual platform to practice basic skills and techniques.
- Surgical skin prep
- Suturing
- Truman Trauma Manikin
- Airway
- Chest tube placement
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- Needle decompression of a pneumothorax
- Nasogastric tube
- Urinary catheter insertion
- Trainer used for urethral and supra-pubic catheterization training. Skills taught include:
- Aseptic catheterization technique
- Catheter placement
- Fluid management (Irrigation)
- Catheter removal
- Vascular anastomosis (clockface)
- The clockface method is a standardized suturing technique used in vascular surgery to ensure precision, uniform tension, and reproducibility.
- Core tasks include patch angioplasty, end-to-side anastomosis, and clockface suturing.
These are the curriculum sessions scheduled for our current residents:
- Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET) course
- The ASSET course is a one-day, cadaver-based training program designed to teach surgeons and surgical residents hands-on techniques for surgical exposure of critical anatomic structures in trauma patients.
- Bowel anastomosis
- Animal based tissue training
- Cadaveric rib plating
- Industry sponsored course
- Intern bootcamp
In-person orientation consisting of:
- Intro to sim lab
- Consenting patient
- Scrubbing, gowning, gloving
- Chest tube placement
- Airway
- Intubation practice
- Adjunct airways
- Trach
- Knot tying using knot boards
- One handed
- Two handed
- Suturing
- Simple Interrupted Suturing Technique
- Horizontal Mattress Suturing Technique
- Vertical Mattress Suturing Technique
- Subcuticular Interrupted Suturing Technique
- Subcuticular Running Suturing Technique
- Deep knot tying
- FLS
- Knot tying (Intra & Extra)
- Peg transfer
- Circle cut
- Foley placement
- Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LCBDE)
- Industry sponsored course with multiple 3-D Med trainers
- Robotics
- Week-long, industry sponsored training delivered in four-hour sessions
- Skills day
- Resident driven dedicated simulation lab time
- Trauma simulations
- Multidisciplinary trauma simulations conducted in the ED trauma bay on a bimonthly basis
- Ultrasound
- Taught by an emergency physician with advanced (fellowship) training in emergency ultrasound
- Central line placement
- FAST
- Vascular anastomosis
- Taught by vascular surgeons
During their introductory training, medical students will take part in the following courses:
- Scrub, gown, and glove
- Foley catheter insertion
- Knot tying and suturing
Resident, Fellow, and Learner Research Retreat
The University of Utah Department of Surgery hosts an Annual research retreat that brings together medical students, residents, and faculty to present their work. The purpose of the retreat is to encourage knowledge sharing, mentorship, and professional development by showcasing research from across various fields of medicine. It also aims to cultivate critical thinking, enhance communication skills, and inspire new research ideas through discussions and feedback from peers and senior faculty.
