Pediatric Surgery

The teaching and supervision of Pediatric Surgery is an integral part of the General Surgical, Transplant, Trauma/Surgical Critical Care, and Cardiothoracic Residency Programs at Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center. The Pediatric Surgery residency is designed to train future academic and/or private practice orientated pediatric surgeons of the highest caliber. The two year Program provides a University residency experience in both primary and tertiary pediatric surgical care. In addition to qualification for the examination for Certificate of Special Competence in Pediatric Surgery, the resident is prepared for independent management of pediatric surgical problems and conducting surgical research.

The residency includes a significant operative experience with both common and unusual or difficult pediatric surgical cases; specialized training in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for both newborn and older children with respiratory failure; complete management of the pediatric surgical patient in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit; primary responsibility for management of the multiply injured child at a Level I pediatric trauma center; and ongoing clinical research, in which the pediatric surgical resident actively participates, frequently in collaboration with other surgical or medical services. The resident also becomes competent in performing infant and child laparoscopic, thoracoscopic, and laser therapies.

The first year Pediatric Surgery resident spends nine months on the Pediatric Surgery service, alternating call with the senior resident. The other three months are utilized for rotations on Neonatology (1 month), Pediatric Urology (1 month), and Pediatric Critical Care/ECMO (1 month). The second year of residency is spent entirely on the Pediatric Surgery service acting as chief resident. A considerable amount of independent clinical and operative management is offered during the second year as well.

Pediatric Surgery residents are evaluated on a routine basis by a committee of attending surgeons, through utilization of the Pediatric Surgery intraining exam, and by an invited oral examiner. Feedback regarding educational and clinical experiences are encouraged from residents. Every effort is made to provide each resident with an excellent clinical and educational experience.

Curriculum
1st year	2nd year
8 months - General Pediatric Surgery	12 months - General Pediatric Surgery
1 month - Neonatology
1 month - Pediatric urology
1 month - Pediatric ICU

 

Faculty:

Richard J. Bower, M.D.

Martin S. Keller, M.D.

Thomas Weber, M.D.

Conferences:
A series of 52 basic science lectures are given through the two year residency to expose the resident, in a didactic fashion, to recent advances in clinical and research topics relevant to pediatric surgery. Each Pediatric Surgery resident conducts an outpatient clinic and closely follows common and uncommon pediatric surgery problems on an outpatient basis, and makes decisions regarding further operative therapy for these patients.

---