Creighton University School of Medicine- Phoenix Program

Program Identity & Fit

This five-year categorical general surgery program is anchored at two contrasting Phoenix hospitals—Valleywise Health Medical Center, a county safety-net institution, and Dignity Health St. Joseph's, a large tertiary referral center—giving residents a blend of underserved acute-care and complex tertiary/destination-care exposure. The program's explicit mission is training surgeons to address healthcare disparities and serve underserved and immigrant populations, reinforced by resident involvement in the Saint Vincent de Paul free clinic, a charity hernia clinic, an endocrine biopsy clinic, and an emerging international surgical mission to Puerto Peñasco. Training emphasizes independence for community or private practice straight out of residency, while a newly established fully-funded one-year voluntary research fellowship (with outcomes/education research via a "Knowledge Donor" platform) supports residents pursuing competitive fellowships, evidenced by recent placements in transplant, colorectal, endocrine, cardiothoracic, breast oncology, and trauma/critical care. The program values clinical excellence paired with resource stewardship, self-reflection, and a stated preference for graduates who stay in or return to Arizona to serve the communities in which they trained.