West Virginia University Program

Program Identity & Fit

WVU is an academic, tertiary/quaternary referral program based almost entirely at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital (850 beds), an ACS-verified Level 1 adult and Level 2 pediatric trauma center serving a largely rural, medically underserved Appalachian population. The program is distinguished by its Fresh Tissue Training Program using perfused cadaver simulation for trauma, vascular, thoracic, foregut and hepatobiliary skills training, alongside dedicated rotations at outside sites including a transplant month at Baylor Scott & White and a rural surgery month at WVU Medicine Jefferson Medical Center in Ranson, WV. Secured funding supports 1-2 years of dedicated research time for select residents, and graduates pursue both general surgery practice and competitive fellowships, reflecting a dual-track structure rather than a singular academic-only pipeline. The program values residents comfortable with rural and underserved surgical care, procedural/simulation-based skill acquisition, and flexibility across trauma-heavy tertiary work and rotations at outside partner institutions.