University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Program

Program Identity & Fit

The University of Wisconsin's 0-5 integrated vascular surgery residency is a high-acuity academic program built around a regional referral practice for complex aortic disease, carotid stenting, and limb salvage, training residents across a large academic medical center, two community hospitals, a VA, and an outpatient vein center. Two dedicated, funded academic development years (PGY-3 and PGY-4) are embedded in a 7-year total training arc, reflecting a structural commitment to producing physician-investigators alongside clinical operators, supported by an active Division of Vascular Surgery research portfolio spanning basic/translational aortic biology, health services/socioeconomic outcomes, and surgical decision-making ethics. The program emphasizes a roughly even open/endovascular complex case mix, a small faculty-to-resident ratio (up to 15 faculty across diverse training backgrounds), and explicit goals of producing "future leaders in vascular surgery" who participate in both clinical practice and the field's academic expansion. Distinctive, non-generic features include an optional global health rotation, 24-hour simulation center access, and a stated culture of camaraderie between vascular trainees and the broader general surgery department.