The Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program is one of 116 approved by the Residency Review Committee. In addition, the Division of Vascular Surgery offers a 5-year integrated Vascular Surgery Residency.

Applications must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and should include your USMLE Transcript, ABSITE, three letters of recommendation (one of which must be from the program director of your general surgery program indicating eligibility for board certification), and a statement of personal goals.

We will invite a select group of applicants for personal interviews during the spring months.

Fellowship Overview

The Division of Vascular Surgery offers a two-year Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program with excellent clinical material, a focus on education, and outstanding faculty. Fellows must be a graduate of an ACGME-accredited general surgery residency or enrolled in the Early Specialization Program that integrates General Surgery and Vascular Surgery training over a 6-year period to allow Board Certification in both General Surgery and Vascular Surgery. The educational goal of the Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program is to achieve expertise in all facets of our specialty. Upon completion of training, our fellows are expected to perform as highly competent vascular surgeons. Fellows will spend time at the William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, a 460-bed, 12-story hospital that features 72 ICU beds and 24 surgical suites; Parkland Hospital, an 862-bed hospital featuring the latest healing concepts as well as quality and safety design features; and the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the nation’s second busiest VA medical center in the country. All three locations have an ICAVL accredited Vascular Lab.

Fellowship Program Structure

Our Fellowship Program covers the full spectrum of traditional cases to exceptionally complex open and endovascular procedures. Fellows finish with more than 1,100 cases (which includes over 700 major vascular cases) and a solid experience in all categories. Our Program is designed for those individuals preparing for an academic career or community practice.

Vascular Surgery Fellows have primary responsibility for the care of vascular surgery patients at Clements University Hospital, Parkland Hospital, and the Dallas VA Medical Center. This includes weekday coverage and assigned night and weekend call. Call averages one-in-three week nights and weekends.

Fellows are expected to have a substantial role in the direct supervision and education of general surgery residents and medical students caring for vascular surgery patients. Fellows will see patients in the outpatient clinic on a regular basis; approximately one day per week will be allocated for outpatient care.

Program Aims Statement

• Provide a comprehensive 2-year curriculum to enable residents to learn tertiary, secondary, and primary care of vascular diseases.
• Educate residents to provide excellent operative and non-operative care in a team model.
• Train individuals in the care of the spectrum of vascular diseases afflicting patients from all age groups and socioeconomic groups at Clements University, Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Dallas Children’s Medical Center.
• Expose trainees to cutting-edge operative techniques that will allow graduates to obtain a skillset that offers a competitive advantage in practice.
• Produce independent practitioners who will be leaders locally and nationally in community or academic practice.

Professionalism

We are committed to providing ethical and professional care to our patients and their families. We are committed to maintaining a professional and collegial relationship with our colleagues and ancillary services. The expectation is that Fellows will maintain a high level of professional behavior in all interactions. Maintaining professional standards of behavior include a professional appearance and demeanor, maintaining accurate, timely and legible medical records, signing medical records and verbal orders, maintaining a duty hour time sheet, and complying with all published call schedules.

Testing

Fellows will take the Vascular Surgery In-Training Examination (VSITE) during the first and second years of training. A score less than the 30^th percentile may result in academic probation and a need for remediation. Fellows must pass the ARDMS registry examination for Physician Vascular Interpretation (RPVI) in order to sit for the Vascular Surgery Certifying Board Exam. Fellows are expected to obtain this certification in the second year of training.