Department of Surgery

Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Surgery. The department provides the highest quality care to all patients. We are committed to educating and training the next generation of leaders in and out of the operating suite. We value innovation, discovery, research, and advancement of innovative technology to promote health and cure disease.

Our Legacy

The first chair of surgery was Dr. Benjamin F. Rush, Jr in 1969. He led the department to become nationally recognized in surgical research and education. Under Dr. Edwin Deitch in 1994 the department flourished to become one of the top ten Departments of Surgery in NIH research funding, and one of the most highly sought-after surgical residency programs in the nation. Dr. Anne C. Mosenthal championed the new field of Surgical Palliative Care. She was named the first Benjamin F. Rush, Jr., MD Endowed Chair in 2014. Under her leadership, diversity in thought and practice was highlighted. Dr. James Guarrera served as interim chair during the COVID pandemic. He established the best liver transplant program in the country at Rutgers NJMS in 2022. He oversaw the successful integration of the Rutgers North surgical residency partnership with St. Barnabas Medical Center. Over five decades, we have trained over seven hundred surgeons. Prominent alumni include Drs. Justin Sambol, Charles Adams, and Jeffrey Upperman

Clinical Care, Innovation, Research and Education

Today, Rutgers NJMS provides clinical services throughout northern New Jersey. We have ten Divisions including Cardiothoracic, Bariatric Surgery, General Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Transplant and Hepatobiliary, Urology, Trauma/Surgical Critical Care, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Vascular, and Clinical Research. Surgeons are experienced in the latest advanced laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic procedures. In addition to University Hospital, many of our Rutgers NJMS faculty provide clinical care and operate at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Veterans Affairs NJ Health Care, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Our surgical residency class size (14 chiefs per year) is one of the largest programs in the country and attests to the incredible breadth and depth of the clinical and educational experience in the operating rooms, intensive care units, clinics, and classrooms. As the busiest Level 1 Trauma Center in the tristate area, our graduates are more than ready for any clinical challenge upon graduation to fellowship, academic or private practice. Rutgers NJMS medical students also benefit from the expertise of our diverse and dedicated faculty.

Building on the Legacy

We plan to promote patient-centered care. We will be partnering with industry to use Patient Apps for all common operations. These Apps, offered in multiple languages, will guide patients at the University Hospital through their pre-, intra- and post operative journey. We will continue to provide telehealth clinical visits statewide for the convenience of our patients. We will also standardize care with Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols to minimize perioperative pain and shorten hospital stays.

The department will emphasize innovation and discovery. We will actively seek to recruit surgeon scientists. The department of Surgery values basic science, clinical, translational, and education research. There are many potential opportunities to collaborate with others across Rutgers University, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and New Jersey Institute of Technology.

We will expand our clinical footprint with new hires in acute care surgery, bariatric surgery, breast surgery, minimally invasive surgery, transplant, trauma, and robotic surgery. In collaboration with Rutgers NJMS and University Hospital we will identify dedicated clinic space, integrate the medical and surgical weight loss programs, and seek ACS Level 1 accreditation for the bariatric program.

Under the leadership of our Clerkship Director, Dr. Melissa Alvarez-Downing, we will be expanding the use of simulation. For medical students we are embracing the American College of Surgeons and Association for Surgical Education curriculum. We also hope to expand the Surgery Boot Camp for 4th year students entering surgery.

ACS/ASE Medical Student Core Curriculum

ACS/ASE Medical Student Simulation-based Surgical Skills Curriculum

National Tutorial Seminars for Medical Students

Under leadership of Interim Program Director, Dr Frank Traupman, surgery residents enjoy a fantastic clinical experience. We hope to expand simulation education with adoption of the ACS/APDS curriculum. Fundamentals of Laparoscopy (FLS), Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES), and Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE) will be offered earlier in their training. All trainees will progress through a formal robotic surgery curriculum leading to more console time.

To support educational programming in Surgery and other departments, Rutgers NJMS is committed to establishing a modern ACS Level 1 accredited simulation center to promote the technical and nontechnical skills of medical students, residents, nurses and allied health, and surgeons. The center will create OR team training scenarios to improve the use of checklists, speaking up and closed loop communication. The simulation center will also support development of future simulators, utilizing virtual reality and AI to better train surgeons in the future.

We seek a supportive and respectful community where all are welcome. We provide extraordinary care in which the patient comes first.

Explore this website for more information and follow our progress on Twitter @NJMSDeptSurgery
 
Daniel B. Jones, MD, MS, FACS
Professor and Benjamin F. Rush, Jr., MD Endowed Chair
Department of Surgery
Rutgers NJMS

About The Program

Thank you for visiting.  We are proud of our committed team of educators and dedicated surgeons.  We strive to provide the best resident education in a friendly program that continuously adapts to the needs of our learners. Please visit our Residency Programs and Fellowship Programs websites for more information and the application process.  For more information about the General Surgery Residency Program, please click here.