University of Michigan Health - Sparrow Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a community-based, university-affiliated general surgery residency anchored at UMH-Sparrow, a 733-bed ACS Level 1 Trauma Center in Lansing, with additional rotations at UMH-West (a private-practice-style community hospital), rural surgery experiences in Ionia and Carson City, and specialized away rotations for transplant (University of Nebraska) and surgical oncology (Corewell West). Early and progressive operative exposure is emphasized, with residents entering the OR by week three and averaging 110 cases in year one. Research is structurally required (two projects to graduate, no dedicated research year) but not positioned as central to identity, functioning instead as a supplement to a clinically dense, high-autonomy training model. The program explicitly trains for both practice-ready community general surgeons and fellowship-bound subspecialists, valuing strong surgical clerkship performance, humanitarian volunteerism, work ethic, and demonstrated commitment to the field over pure academic output.