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Reviewed by:
Third-Year Medical Student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Reviewed: 7/15/24
Are you thinking about going to medical school for surgery? We’ll be going over the best medical schools for surgery and a detailed overview of each of the schools.
If you're reading this, you're probably thinking about attending medical school and what you'll be specializing in. If you're considering becoming a surgeon, you must find the right school.
In this article, you'll be given all the facts about the best medical schools for surgery. Making an informed decision about what medical school you should go to isn't easy. However, this informative guide will help you make that scary yet exciting decision.
Below is a list of the best medical schools in the US for surgery.
Johns Hopkins University's Department of Surgery offers medical students an eight-week core surgery clerkship. Students must participate in this clerkship, which involves spending the first four weeks on a general surgery rotation and the following four weeks on two-week rotations in subspecialty services.
This clerkship also involves students attending lectures and weekly labs to develop the skills needed for their clerkship and future careers.
The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has a General Surgery Residency Program that prepares students to become safe and qualified surgeons, leaders, and teachers in surgery.
Clinical rotations are part of the UCSF student training process. During rotations, students take care of patients in various hospitals while learning about general surgical techniques and gathering information about clinical situations.
Students can also participate in research activities for two to three years. This research opportunity begins after the third clinical year.
Harvard Medical School (HMS) was founded in 1782 and is ranked as the third-best medical school for surgery in the US. While pursing a medical degree at HMS, students will have the opportunity to gain early clinical experience, advanced clinical experience, as well as basic/population science experiences.
HMS students are also given various research opportunities where they can carry out hypothesis-based research in fields like the social sciences, arts, and medical humanities. The research opportunities and fellowships help students gain some experience in the medical field.
Duke University is recognized as one of the top 10 hospitals and medical schools in the US for its excellent clinical training and research programs. The Duke General Surgery Residency Program provides students with a thorough training program and diverse clinical settings.
The school also offers students fellowships in various areas of surgery:
The Surgery Residency Program, and the various fellowships, give students the best resources to learn and develop the skills needed for their future careers.
The University of Michigan Ann Arbor Medical School's General Surgery Residency Program offers students a comprehensive curriculum and fantastic research opportunities. Students will learn operative and surgical skills to help them prepare for their future careers in the field.
Through clinical rotations, students are offered innovative training experiences where they'll develop technical and clinical skills. Students are also evaluated and given feedback about their performance during those clinical rotations.
Stanford University Medical School has a General Surgery Residency Program that offers students a curriculum focused on didactics, general surgery training, and operative experience. The curriculum teaches students the knowledge of general surgery. The program’s training portion gives students the surgical skills needed for their future careers.
The University of Pennsylvania Medical School has a General Surgery Residency program that teaches students science fundamentals related to clinical surgery and the skills needed for patient care in all areas of surgery.
Fellowships are also available to students in various areas of surgery, such as:
The University of Pennsylvania Medical School strives for excellence with its students, training them well for their future careers in the field.
Columbia University Medical School has a five-year clinical training program. The program heavily focuses on clinical experience, and students engage in pre-training activities. Columbia University Medical School has an online interactive resource as well as inanimate and animate surgical simulations for students to learn from
New York University Medical School has a unique approach when it comes to tuition. They've offered medical students free tuition to encourage more doctors to choose lower-paying specialties.
Students tend to gravitate towards high-paying specialties to pay off medical school debt. However, NYU's free tuition can help students pick the right specialty.
The General Surgery Residency Program offers students a Surgical Core Clerkship where medical students attend presentations, evaluations, and operative treatment for six weeks.
The General Surgery Residency Program at Northwestern University includes the following training:
The program offers students a comprehensive curriculum, clinical rotations, and mentorships. Students are also later evaluated on their performance.
Washington University in St. Louis' General Surgery Residency Program offers flexible surgical training to students so that they can learn at their own pace. The medical school offers this flexibility by introducing skills and a simulation lab that allows students to learn technical skills.
Students can also pursue a wide array of research opportunities under the supervision of mentors. Students have the chance to research various topics such as surgery, immunology, genetics, and public health.
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine's General Surgery Residency Program teaches students about performing standard and complex surgical procedures one-on-one with a Mayo Clinic Surgeon.
The curriculum consists of clinical training where students will be able to observe and participate in various surgeries. Clinical research is also available to students, where they can conduct at least one clinical research project.
The University of California-Los Angeles' (UCLA) General Surgery Residency Program offers students formal education and clinical rotations. The curriculum consists of weekly didactics, teaching sessions, and surgical anatomy labs.
Students also take two to three years off from clinical training to pursue research projects. These research projects range from basic science to health services.
Vanderbilt’s General Surgery Residency Program allows students to work closely with specialty surgeons and researchers, working together as a cohesive team to not only deliver exceptional care to their patients but also to discover the latest in surgical innovations.
Located in Nashville, the surrounding community also gives students a chance to explore and unwind in the vibrant city.
As a member of the Ivy League, Yale Medical School has been known for its excellence in education from its inception. Their General Surgery Residency program is no exception to this. What sets Yale’s teaching style apart is new surgeons are not graded for the first two years of their residency. Rather, they are encouraged to take responsibility for their own education by attending small group seminars and learning in a state-of-the-art and hands-on approach. It is common for new residents to reach over 300 surgery cases in these first two years.
If you're looking for a flexible General Surgery Residency Program, the University of Pittsburgh Medical School offers just that. It provides students with both basic and advanced surgical experience. The program has various educational and training tools, clinical rotations, and research opportunities.
The General Surgery Residency Program at Emory University Medical School is five years long, with the option of adding an extra one or two years for a research sabbatical. With their six training facilities, students are given exposure to surgical cases.
In recent years, Emory University has extended its rotations to include plastic surgery, cardiac surgery, pediatric surgery, and minimally invasive surgery to increase student exposure to the field.
The General Surgery Residency Program at Baylor College of Medicine offers students a broad range of clinical rotations. Students are also given training in all areas of general surgery, such as abdomen, breast, head and neck, vascular system, endocrine, trauma, and critical care.
The school's Simulation Core is a crucial tool for training students. It provides students with the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques and continuous education for practicing surgeons.
The General Surgery Residency Program at Cornell University Medical School has a comprehensive curriculum and offers students research opportunities and simulation training.
While working on their research projects, students work closely with an established investigator. Students are encouraged to pursue the research opportunities that best fit their interests.
If you’re still hoping to find more medical schools that specialize in surgery, you’re in luck! Our selection tool down below can help you find tons of high-ranking medical schools. You can even specify that you’re interested in surgery to get more accurate and specific results!
If you still have questions about the best medical schools for surgery, check out these frequently asked questions.
Johns Hopkins is the best medical school for surgery, followed by the University of California-San Francisco and Harvard University.
Becoming a surgeon is challenging because of the number of years you’ll spend in school. Getting into and staying in medical school is also difficult because of the amount of studying that’s done.
When it comes to how many years you'll spend in school, you must first complete a four-year undergraduate program, attend medical school for four years, and complete your residency in three to seven years. In total, it takes between 10 to 14 years to become a surgeon.
It's no secret that medical school is quite difficult, and becoming a surgeon requires even more hard work, dedication and ambition.
Finding the right medical school is essential if you're on the path to becoming a surgeon. This guide has provided all you need to find the best school for you and make the right decision.
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