Medical Student Education
Under the leadership of interim chairman Christine L. Lau, MD, MBA, the Department of Surgery prides itself on a robust educational experience throughout the four years of medical school.
From the anatomy lab to the patient's bedside, through research opportunities and simulation training, the Department is committed to training the next generation of physicians and surgeons.
Preclinical Curriculum
Surgical education is intertwined with the preclinical curriculum for first and second year medical students. From the first days of the structure and function course, commonly known as gross anatomy, surgical preceptors and surgical lectures help to integrate anatomic learning with clinical correlates.
In pathophysiology and therapeutics, presentations on the surgical management of disease complement lectures on pharmacology and physiology.
Research Opportunities
The Department of Surgery welcomes medical students with an interest in participating in surgical research. There are robust opportunities available in basic science, translational, and clinical research. We proudly support the PRISM program for University of Maryland medical students wishing to dedicate the summer between their first and second year to focused research.
For more information, please contact Dr. Kimberly Lumpkins (Department of Surgery) or Laura Buchanan (Program in Trauma).
Surgical Interest Groups
UMSOM students actively lead a number of surgical interest groups for first and second year medical students. These organizations coordinate a host of engaging and interactive activities. Examples include suturing workshops, laparoscopic surgery workshops, panel presentations on surgical careers, and surviving your surgical clerkship rotation.
- Surgery Interest Group
- Trauma Interest Group
- Plastic Surgery Interest Group
- Urology Interest Group
- Transplantation Medicine Interest Group
- Women In Surgery Interest Group (a chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons)
- Cardiothoracic Interest Group
For more information, please see Medscope.
Core Surgical Clerkship
The eight week core surgical clerkship introduces 3rd year medical students to the fundamentals of surgical practice under the guidance of clerkship director Dr. Eric Strauch. Students spend four weeks on a core general surgical service as integral members of the team.
Two weeks of the rotation are spent at the internationally renowned R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center on the trauma surgery service, experiencing world class trauma care firsthand. The final two weeks of the rotation are spent on a general surgical subspecialty, such as transplant, plastic surgery, or cardiac surgery.
Surgical Subspecialties Elective
All third year medical students have the option of spending an additional four weeks rotating through two surgical subspecialties, allowing students to expand their experience beyond general surgery.
Students may indicate their preference for choice of the following clinical rotations:
- neurosurgery
- otorhinolaryngology
- orthopedic surgery
- urology
- plastic surgery
Subinternships in Surgery & Visiting Student Rotations
All clinical services within the University of Maryland Department of Surgery offer subinternships for fourth year medical students. The Department of Surgery welcomes visiting 4th year students from accredited medical schools in the United States and Canada for these rotations.
All outside students must apply through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VLSO) service hosted by the AAMC. Unfortunately we are not able to accommodate medical students from foreign medical schools for clinical rotations.
For specific questions, please contact Carla Fernandez, student coordinator.
The Maryland Surgical Scholar Program
The Maryland Surgical Scholar Program (MSSP) recognizes 3rd and 4th year students who intend to pursue a residency in general surgery or the integrated general surgery subspecialties (urology, vascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and plastic surgery). Benefits include regular invitations to surgical events, news and links of interest, and membership in the American College of Surgeons.
The MSSP awards the Wayne Babcock Award for Excellence in Surgery to a worthy fourth year student entering a general surgery field. This award includes funding for travel to the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in October.
Please contact Dr. Kimberly Lumpkins for more information.
Residency Information
The University of Maryland General Surgery Residency Program was originally accredited in 1954. In the nearly 60 years since, the program have made strides in surgical education as well as clinical medicine. Residents enjoy the benefits of state-of-the-art surgical training both in traditional OR settings and in the MASTRI center, the Maryland Advanced Simulation, Training, Research and Innovation center, where they can practice using the latest surgical technology.
For more information, please visit the University of Maryland General Surgery Residency Program
