General Surgery Residency

Complementing the outstanding clinical surgery experience is the ability to participate in dedicated research and professional development. Most residents choose to participate in two (or more) dedicated years of training after completing their PGY 2 clinical year. Residents who participate in research and professional development years have been very successful in their research endeavors. They boast outstanding publication records, frequently present at national meetings, and acquire prestigious scholarships and grants to help fund their research pursuits. During this time, residents are encouraged to obtain an advanced degree from Indiana University at no cost to the resident. Current master’s degrees are available in education, public health, clinical research and biostatistics.

At IU School of Medicine, resident physicians can immerse themselves in global health through our training pathway and diverse electives, enhancing their skills in international health care. The Global Health Pathway is open to all specialty residents, offering local and overseas electives with dedicated faculty mentors. This interdepartmental program unites residents from various specialties, fostering a shared commitment to delivering comprehensive healthcare worldwide. Notably, our AMPATH-Kenya initiative, one of the world's most significant collaborative healthcare efforts, invites residents from medicine, pediatrics, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology to engage in a life-changing and career-changing one or two-month elective at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Pre-departure orientation, in-country education, and debriefing sessions ensure a meaningful experience.

Clinical training for surgery residency is based at the five major teaching hospitals located on the IU School of Medicine’s downtown Indianapolis campus: IU Health University Hospital, Riley Hospital for Children, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Eskenazi Health and IU Health Methodist Hospital. In addition to the traditional surgical services at these sites, the Department of Surgery offers preceptor models of surgical training at two suburban hospitals: IU Health North and IU Health West.

The IU School of Medicine Department of Surgery offers 12 accredited fellowship programs open to physicians who have completed general surgery residency training.

Upon completion of the general surgery residency at IU School of Medicine, 90 percent have continued their training in 17 subspecialty areas through 35 fellowship programs across the United States, while 10 percent have entered private practice.

Surgery residency alumni have gone on to competitive fellowship programs at Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles, Cleveland Clinic, Duke University, Baylor College of Medicine MD Anderson Cancer Center, IU School of Medicine and other prestigious medical centers.