Training Sites and Laboratories

Training Sites

The Department of Surgery’s residency programs give students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience providing care for diverse populations and treating a wide range of conditions. With five world-class facilities, surgical residents can take advantage of valuable training opportunities, from pediatric through geriatric procedures, including comprehensive experiences in hepatobiliary surgery, transplantation, vascular surgery, and advanced laparoscopic procedures. The program includes experience in community and VA-based care, which is crucial for surgeons interested in academic careers. Residents become equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to be competitive in the workforce.

Duke University Hospital (DUH)

Duke University Hospital

Consistently ranked as one of the top 10 hospitals by U.S.News & World Report, the 989-bed Duke University Hospital is a tertiary and quaternary care hospital and Level I trauma center. On its 210 acres, it houses comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities that serve a multistate region, drawing patients routinely from the Carolinas, eastern Tennessee, southern Virginia, Georgia, and Florida. Many of its programs also attract patients from other national and international sites. The main hospital is complemented by a state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center situated two blocks away. Recent additions to Duke Hospital continue to add operative capacity and the patient volume continues to grow, consistent with the booming population moving to the triangle area. 

Duke Regional Hospital (DRH)

Duke Raleigh Hospital (DRaH)

Duke Regional Hospital is a 369-bed acute care hospital that has been serving the community’s health care needs since 1976. A comprehensive facility, it offers Duke surgical residents experience in inpatient, outpatient, surgical, and emergency care. The medical facility also features a level II intensive care nursery, the 30-bed Durham Regional Rehabilitation Institute, and the Davis Ambulatory Surgical Center. It also has a nine-bed coronary care unit and a 17-bed intensive care unit. Other training opportunities include the highly acclaimed Duke Bariatric Surgery and Advanced Laparoscopic programs. 

Durham Veterans Administration Hospital (DVAMC)

Durham VA Medical Center

This 274-bed general medical and surgical facility is located just across the street from Duke Hospital. The DVAMC provides general and specialty medical, surgical, psychiatric inpatient, and ambulatory services and is a major referral center for veterans in North Carolina, southern Virginia, northern South Carolina, and eastern Tennessee. In this capacity, the DVAMC accommodates veterans from these regions with complex general, vascular, and cardiothoracic needs and, in addition, serves local veterans requiring care for common general surgical disorders. 

Duke Raleigh Hospital (DRaH)

Duke Raleigh Hospital (DRaH)

This is a 148-bed general medical and surgical hospital in Raleigh. The Duke Raleigh rotation provides residents with a community-based general surgery experience that includes what would be considered “bread and butter” general surgery, such as cholecystectomy, hernia, breast biopsy, mastectomy, and colectomy. It is currently expanding to include a comprehensive weight management program and enhanced general surgical oncology. 

Central Carolina Surgery (CCS)

Central Carolina Surgery (CCS)

Central Carolina Surgery (CCS) is a 20-surgeon group located in Greensboro, North Carolina.  CCS is part of the Duke Private Diagnostic Clinic.  Surgeries are performed at hospitals in the Cone Health system.  These facilities have 800 patient beds and 42 operating rooms.  The CCS rotation provides senior residents with a high-volume community-based surgery experience including colorectal, hepatobiliary, bariatric, endocrine, breast, and hernia surgery.     

Educational Laboratories

Med SEAL

Surgical Education and Activities Lab (SEAL)

The Surgical Education and Activities Lab (SEAL) is a state-of-the-art surgical simulation center designed to provide advanced and innovative training for physicians, residents, fellows, physician assistants, nurses, medical students, health care providers, and industry professionals in a risk-free environment.  Simulation training provides learners the opportunity to develop skills and practice minimally invasive procedures without the pressures of the operating room to advance medical education and improve patient safety.

Human Fresh Tissue Laboratory

Human Fresh Tissue Laboratory

The Duke Human Fresh Tissue Laboratory is a state-of-the-art medical skills lab where residents, attending physicians, and medical students can perform advanced surgical training on fresh tissue. The lab has been used to provide training to medical professionals from Duke and throughout the country since 1997.

Duke Vivarium

Duke Vivarium

A key component of the Duke Animal Care and Use Program is the Surgical Pavilion that consists of four operating rooms as well as rooms for surgical preparation, anesthetic monitoring, post-operative recovery and surgical instrument processing. This facility provides resources for teaching and research endeavors and is supplied with state-of-the-art equipment and information technology.

3D Printing Lab

3D Printing Lab

The Duke 3D printing lab offers unique research and educational experiences for surgical trainees. We have many printers that can be accessed remotely from anywhere and higher end printers located just next to the Duke Medicine Pavilion. We also have state-of-the-art software and a partnership with the multi-D lab for help with segmentation, which is the process of picking out particular areas of anatomical interest for printing.