Our goal at the University of Wisconsin is to develop future leaders in Surgical Critical Care. We offer an ACGME accredited one year fellowship in Surgical Critical Care which emphasizes a comprehensive clinical experience incorporating state-of-the-art critical care practices. Our ACS verified Level I trauma center cares for about 3500 patients annually. An optional second year experience is available for fellows to explore their interests in research, education, global surgery or leadership/management. We pride ourselves in individualized attention to the professional development of our trainees.

Nationally Recognized Academic Health System

UW Health is the integrated health system of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It cares for more than 600,000 patients each year and ranks among the finest academic medical centers in the United States. University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics is a 505-bed regional referral center that is home to one of only two of Wisconsin's Level I adult trauma centers. The hospital also houses an American College of Surgeons verified Burn Center, one of the nation’s largest organ transplant programs, and one of 50 National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Centers. UW Hospital and Clinics contains six intensive care units (Trauma and Life Support Center, Cardiac ICU, Cardiothoracic Surgery ICU, Burn ICU, Neurosurgery ICU) with 83 total beds. Adjacent is the American Family Children’s Hospital, UW Health’s complete children’s medical and surgical center with a 33-bed pediatric intensive care unit, an internationally recognized transplant surgery program, and a children’s cancer center.

Surgical Critical Care Fellowship

The majority of the one year fellowship is spent on the Surgical Critical Care Service, which serves critically ill and injured patients from trauma surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, transplant surgery, urology, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, nutrition support, and obstetrics and gynecology. The fellow also rotates in the Medical ICU, Cardiothoracic Surgery ICU, and Neurosurgery ICU. Elective rotations include but are not limited to anesthesiology, cardiology, nephrology, infectious diseases, burn surgery, pediatric ICU, palliative care, and ethics. There is an opportunity for a 1 month global surgery rotation through the UW Department of Surgery Global Health Program.

A structured didactics curriculum is offered with lectures, journal clubs, and critical care specific morbidity and mortality conferences. Speakers include invited guests that are established experts in their respective fields. All fellows complete formal transthoracic echocardiography training.

Fellows work with fifteen full-time faculty members with substantial teaching experience in critical care and an excellent academic track record, which includes trainee mentorship. Through their training, the fellow benefits from a collaborative teaching environment including critical care fellowships of four departments — Anesthesia, Medicine, Neurosurgery, and Surgery. There is also a critical care pharmacy residency. Interdisciplinary care and system development is emphasized. The fellow will obtain integrated quality improvement and administrative experiences in a nationally recognized medical-surgical ICU and health system.

Attendance for education and presentations at national critical care conferences is supported. While the SCC fellowship focuses on the development of critical care skills and knowledge, there are system-wide opportunities to gain further operative experience as needed.

How to apply

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have completed a general surgery residency at an ACGME-accredited program. We hope to recruit individuals that are self-driven, intellectually curious and creative, and are dedicated to optimizing the care of patients. Training with progressive independence and development of clinical leadership is a priority. Our goal is to provide a personalized training environment that meets the goals and needs of each fellow.

Applications are accepted through the SAFAS system: https://safas.smapply.io/ 

Any questions or inquiries regarding the program may be directed to jung@surgery.wisc.edu, gombar@surgery.wisc.edu, or (608) 263-9419

Research opportunities

The optional second year specifically focuses on career development. While this year does provide opportunities for advanced operative experience and graduated independence, the main focus of the year is developing the fellow's interests in the areas of:

- Research - Opportunities in Clinical Sciences, Health Services, Learning Sciences, and Basic Sciences

- Education – Develop a focus and portfolio in surgical education within a Department of Surgery known for its educational program excellence

- Global Surgery - Integration into the UW Global Surgery program with a three month clinical experience abroad

- Leadership/Management - Leveraging specialized training opportunities within UW Health and UW-Madison

Many of these opportunities are available to fellows during a one year fellowship within the training and time requirements for surgical critical care certification.