Chairman's Message

Welcome to the University of Rochester Department of Surgery. Our mission is to provide cutting edge, patient-centered surgical care of the highest quality; to conduct innovative basic and translational research; and to train the next generation of academic surgeons. We embrace the proud history and legacy of this department, which has produced many national academic surgical leaders. We strive to honor our past while we change and innovate to build the team of the future.

Our department consists of approximately 70 full-time clinical faculty and we have a team of over 400 dedicated full-time staff who support our clinical, research and academic mission. Our surgeons perform over 14,000 procedures per year, and, as the largest tertiary and quaternary care academic medical center in upstate and western New York, we deliver expert and life-saving care to some of the most complex patients.

We have a robust and ever growing research program within the Department, and we have been successful in obtaining major grants from the NIH to conduct innovative, patient centered research. We continue to enhance our research portfolio with growing programs in education, cancer control, outcomes/comparative effectiveness research, bioengineering, clinical trials, and tumor biology. Our residents spend dedicated time performing research and this work has resulted in many podium presentations at important national meetings as well as an impressive publication track record.

Our department is also recognized for excellence in education, and our faculty is continuing a tradition of innovation in the education of residents, medical students and other healthcare professionals. Central to our mission is the commitment to training the next generation of leaders in American surgery. We take a unique approach to resident education, which, in addition to superb clinical training, includes leadership development, professionalism coaching, and global health experiences. Residents completing our program are extremely well-trained and successfully compete for some of the most competitive jobs and fellowships.

Our team consists of expert clinicians, investigators and educators, and we welcome you to browse our website to learn more about our clinical programs, our research enterprise and our training opportunities.

Walter Pegoli, Jr., MD
Professor and Interim Chairman of Surgery