Research and Academic Development | Duke Department of Surgery

University surgeons exist in an intensely multidisciplinary world. In this academic environment, where new techniques, technologies, and scientific perspectives are constantly being developed and evaluated, it is critical that trainees have the opportunity to acquire skills in experimental study design, execution, and evaluation.

The overarching goal of the research fellowship is to provide trainees the tools to engage at the highest levels in academic biomedical research and to develop a solid foundation for an academic career.

Whether this involves bench research, translational research, clinical trials, resident-led clinical outcomes research, study of social sciences, health systems, or education, we intend to provide a platform for robust scientific inquiry.

It is the ambition of the Department of Surgery at Duke University to develop surgeon-scientists who can deliver superlative clinical care and produce high-impact studies that will continue to raise the profile of this specialty as well as the reputation of our institution.

All general surgery residents will prepare for and participate in a research fellowship. This will typically be two years but can be shorter or longer based on compelling circumstances. The research can include discovery-based activity across the spectrum from basic and translation to clinical and population-based work, so long as it is sufficiently impactful and ambitious.