Surgery is a division of the Specialty Medicine department and consists of general surgery as well as a diverse group of subspecialties including surgical oncology, gynecological oncology, colorectal surgery, breast surgery, bariatric surgery and pediatric surgery. Our faculty members are committed to the surgical education of medical students and residents in all aspects of teaching, clinical practice and research. Our goal is to prepare general and subspecialty surgeons for our nation's future health care needs while remaining dedicated to meeting the physician workforce needs of the state, particularly in underserved rural areas.
Undergraduate education
The surgery department's faculty members and residents provide didactic instruction as well as in-depth surgical skills training that includes simulation and static models. A comprehensive basic surgical skills experience for second-year osteopathic medicine students is taught in the state-of-the-art Surgery Skills Lab. Emphasizing the fundamentals of basic aseptic technique and applications of clinical practice, the course includes structured didactic instruction, lectures and clinical/surgical skills simulation. As a result, our students have a strong foundation in the practice of clinical/surgical skills and are well-prepared and confident to meet the challenge of clinical rotations in the third and fourth years.
Clinical core and elective rotations in general surgery and surgical subspecialties are conducted for third and fourth-year students in the local community and in Iowa with highly structured participation in multidisciplinary teams, assuring a varied and in-depth exposure in all aspects of surgical education.
Post-graduate education
The surgery department is affiliated with Mercy Medical Center and offers a general surgery residency program that includes a 20-slot American Osteopathic Board of Surgery-approved residency program.
Global health
Global health care has long been a passion of our faculty and students. By incorporating medical and surgical experiences in many under-served countries around the world, we are able to provide our students and residents with life-changing cultural experiences that will serve them throughout their entire surgical career.