Surgical Education

The future of surgical education at the University of Alberta has never been brighter, and it is due to the vision and passion of leaders from all stages of the education curriculum.

2 July 2024

From medical students to surgical residents and graduate students, to practicing surgeons, the Department of Surgery is home to a talented and diverse team of educators who share a passion to improve how we teach surgery and ultimately to improve the outcomes of surgical patients. 

Surgical Education includes a diverse array of faculty and learners and impacts all phases of training, from before medical school to undergraduate medical students, graduate students in MSc and PhD programs, postgraduate residents and continuing professional development. Members of all divisions within the Department of Surgery make important contributions to Surgical Education, including clinical and non-clinical specialties.

These educators, researchers and administrators meet regularly at Surgical Education Rounds, where innovative ideas, evolving projects and recent successes are shared.

This academic year has seen the development of several exciting new initiatives, such the UpSurge mentorship program for BIPOC students in surgery, the STEEL teacher training certificate for surgical residents, funding for summer studentships and Tom Williams Research Day awards in Surgical Education and funding for external certifications such as the SERF and SELF fellowships via the Association for Surgical Education. The Department’s focus on Surgical Education was reflected in a banner year at Tom Williams Research Day, with an unprecedented number and quality of Surgical Education projects presented.