University of Minnesota Program

Surgery-General Analyst Verified · Sep 15, 2026

University of Minnesota Program

University of Minnesota Program is a residency program specializing in Surgery-General, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, directed by Daniel Kendrick, MD, MAEd and coordinated by Sarah Erickson. The program accepts applications through September 25, 2027 and holds an accreditation status of Continued. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (612) 625-6483. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

The University of Minnesota General Surgery Residency is a storied academic program (Wangensteen, Lillehei, Najarian lineage) built around tertiary/quaternary care at UMMC, high-acuity transplant, thoracic, and complex oncologic services, supplemented by community and VA sites (Regions, North Memorial, Methodist, Minneapolis VA) that provide bread-and-butter volume and early autonomy. Research infrastructure is deep and formalized, including SKOL (outcomes/health services research), basic and translational labs, a T32 pancreatology surgeon-scientist training grant, and named divisions spanning transplantation, surgical oncology, and cardiothoracic subspecialty fellowships, reflecting a program that trains residents for academic surgery and competitive subspecialty fellowships. A distinctive structural feature is the designated Rural Track, sending residents for PGY4-5 to Essentia Health in Duluth for full-spectrum rural general surgery training (C-sections, endoscopy, trauma stabilization) after three Twin Cities years, alongside the standard academic/fellowship-oriented track. The program values residents oriented toward academic surgical careers, scholarly productivity, and, for a distinct subset, rural surgical practice preparation.

Who it fits

The applicant whose ERAS narrative centers on academic surgical ambition, laboratory or outcomes-research experience, and interest in complex tertiary subspecialty practice (transplant, thoracic, oncologic) fits naturally here, as does a separate applicant with explicit rural-practice career goals suited to the Essentia Health rural track.

Research intensity

Strong - extensive dedicated research infrastructure (SKOL, T32, basic/translational labs) with an explicit institutional identity around training surgeon-scientists.

Career orientation

Mixed - Academic Medicine, Fellowship, Community Practice

Important

Applicants must apply to either the Rural or Academic general surgery track (not both), and are asked to choose one before interview invitations if they apply to both; the personal statement must include a dedicated up-to-100-word paragraph on interest specifically in the University of Minnesota program.

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