The University of Colorado’s Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (TACS) Fellowship was approved as an official training site by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) in May 2008.

This fellowship encompasses trauma and non-trauma surgical emergencies, as well as surgical critical care. TACS training provides comprehensive emergent surgical and critical care to trauma and non-trauma conditions in virtually any body region or organ system. Through this integrated educational experience, CU provides fellows with the training to become academic leaders in this emerging discipline.

The TACS curriculum builds upon the concepts and skills obtained during a five-year General Surgery Residency. The first year of the fellowship focuses on surgical critical care in an ACGME/RRC approved training program. Rotational experience includes trauma, cardiac, burn, pediatric and general surgical critical care. The broad experience gained through a diverse faculty and programmatic elements prepares the fellow for board examinations and success in their careers.

During the second year of the fellowship, the TACS fellow focuses on advanced operative skills and procedural techniques in trauma, emergency general surgery, and elective general surgery including complex thoracic and vascular cases. The TACS fellow will be involved in patient evaluation, care, and intervention of all acutely ill surgical patients. Dedicated experience in thoracic surgery, vascular surgery, and transplant/hepatobiliary surgery augments the general knowledge base and specific technical skills of the fellow. Acute Care Surgery rotations incorporate elective general, thoracic and vascular surgery cases, surgical critical care and emergent trauma and non-trauma cases. The TACS fellow takes call once a week with the TACS attending surgeon. Call at Denver Health embodies this paradigm of training, as the fellow evaluates and operates on patients with trauma as well as thoracic, vascular, and abdominal emergencies. The TACS fellow is expected to participate in ongoing research at one of the parent institutions. Additionally, the fellow will be instructed in trauma system design and disaster management.

PGY 6 salary = $76,202
PGY 7 salary = $78,906
(for 2021-2022)