University of California Davis Health Program

Program Identity & Fit

UC Davis General Surgery is an academic, university-based program centered at UC Davis Medical Center, the region's tertiary/quaternary referral center for Northern California, with clinical exposure broadened through six affiliated sites spanning private practice, HMO, military, VA, and charitable-care settings. The program builds in 1-2 years of protected time between PGY-3 and PGY-4 for research or an advanced degree (MS, PhD, MPH, MAS), supported by named Career Development Experiences including Surgeon Scientist, Surgeon Educator, Global/Rural Surgery, and Public Policy/Comparative Effectiveness tracks, and a T32-funded Quality, Safety, and Comparative Effectiveness Research Training pathway. Distinctive infrastructure includes the Institute for Regenerative Cures, the Surgical Bioengineering Laboratory, an international South Africa rotation under Dr. Farmer, and consistently top-tier ABS written and certifying exam pass rates. The program's structure and named tracks signal it values residents pursuing deliberate subspecialty or academic career paths rather than generalist community practice alone.