Choosing a Surgery Training Environment: University-Based Programs

There is no strict definition of an “academic” surgical program and this is a designation not solely limited to university-based programs. Affiliation with a university is the most typical consideration. Using that criterion alone, an applicant will encounter a large number of programs that vary in size, length, caseloads, and research opportunities. Applicants seeking a university-based program may have particular interests and goals satisfied by some but not all of these programs. Here we will attempt to broadly characterize the attributes of university programs and the applicant group to which these programs may appeal.