Medical College of Wisconsin Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship

Applicants for the CGSO fellowship must meet the following educational qualifications:

• Successful completion of an ACGME-accredited general surgery residency program in the United States or Canada
• Graduates of medical schools outside the United States and Canada must have a valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
• Applicants must have passed each of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) steps
• At the time of entry into the fellowship program, all applicants will be board eligible or board certified general surgeons under the auspices of the American Board of Surgery
• Candidates must be eligible to obtain licensure to practice medicine in the State of Wisconsin. A valid license to practice medicine in the State of Wisconsin must be obtained prior to the start the fellowship year.

Visa
Applicants must have an appropriate visa to begin Graduate Medical Education with the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals. If a candidate does not obtain an appropriate visa that permits MCWAH to employ him/her on the designated start date, the training position will not be held and may be offered to another candidate. We currently accept the visas listed at Visa Information on the Graduate Medical Education website.

The CGSO Fellowship training and experience allows for each fellow to earn dual certification by pursuing American Board of Surgery CGSO Board Certification and AHPBA HPB Surgery Certification.

• American Board of Surgery (ABS) CGSO Certification Requirements
• AHPBA HPB Surgery Certificate Requirements (PDF)

• The Complex General Surgical Oncology (CGSO) Fellowship is an ACGME-accredited, two-year program.
• Graduates will be eligible to sit for the American Board of Surgery examination in CGSO and for the HPB certificate awarded by the AHPBA.
• One fellow is accepted into the program each year.
• The goal of our CGSO Fellowship program is to cultivate four major objectives of surgical education:
  • Foster development of positive humanistic attitudes as essential to providing excellence in surgical patient care.
  • Assure acquisition of appropriate technical surgical skills and an appreciation of surgical anatomy and physiology.
  • Provide opportunity to develop mature surgical judgment based on theoretical considerations and on practical experience.
  • Develop an inquiring mind, tempered by appropriate skepticism, by means of vigorous and candid review of one’s surgical work and by exposure to the problems of basic and clinical research.
• Each fellow will be prepared to excel as a board-certified surgical oncologist. The program places an emphasis on the acquisition and development of patient management, procedural, operative, and critical thinking skills. The program is framed by the ACGME Core Competencies:
  • patient care;
  • medical knowledge;
  • professionalism;
  • practice-based learning and improvement;
  • interpersonal communication skills;
  • systems-based practice; as well as
  • the achievement of operative expertise a surgeon needs to make a difference in the lives of their patients and families.
• Fellows are mentored and expected to pursue research interests during the fellowship.
• CGSO graduates will join the surgical profession competent and confident that they are ready to provide the extraordinary care to their patients as actively practicing board certified surgical oncologists with, if desired, HPB specialty designation.

• The clinical experience is diverse and includes training in all aspects of Surgical Oncology including participation in the initial clinical evaluation of patients, planning of the treatment including multidisciplinary and surgical approaches, and postoperative and follow-up care. Fellows will learn to perform complex and technically challenging oncologic operations and to participate in the multidisciplinary management of these cases. Rotations include:
  • Breast
  • Colorectal
  • Endocrine
  • Hepatobiliary and Pancreas
  • Medical oncology
  • Melanoma / Sarcoma / Gastrointestinal / Peritoneal malignancies
  • Radiation oncology
  • Surgical pathology
• Fellows have the option to take elective rotations in areas of specific interest, which include:
  • Genetics
  • HPB
  • OB/GYN
  • Ortho
  • Otolaryngology
  • Palliative care services
  • Physical medicine and rehabilitation
  • Plastics
  • Urology

• Weekly:
  • CGSO Fellows' Weekly Conference
  • Service-specific educational conferences
  • Service-specific multidisciplinary tumor conferences
  • Surgery morbidity and mortality conferences
  • Surgical and institutional grand rounds
• Monthly
  • Service-specific journal clubs
  • AHPBA HPB Fellow Grand Rounds Video Conference
• Quarterly:
  • SSO National Video Conference Series
• Annual SSO Fellows Institute
• AHPBA Annual Meeting – HPB Fellows Practicum
• SSO Annual Meeting
• Service-specific suggested reading list

Interest in research is expected and significant infrastructure supports a productive research experience. Fellows can expect:

• Mentorship
  • Fellows will develop a research plan with specific research mentors and the Program Directors. This will occur early in the first year of fellowship with the goal of completing projects prior to graduation.
• Extensive database resources
  • The Division of Surgical Oncology has five full-time database managers who maintain multiple prospective databases (breast, parathyroid, thyroid, adrenal, pancreas, liver, peritoneal malignancies, and sarcoma).
• Support
  • The Cancer Center’s Clinical Trials Office provides access to full-time clinical research coordinators, regulatory staff, and financial staff to assist with clinical trials. The Division of Surgical Oncology also has access to biostatistical support and many of the surgical oncology faculty have advanced training in clinical research.
• Protected research time
  • The CGSO fellowship includes four months of research which are used to develop clinical and/or translational research skills and to design, initiate and carryout various projects.
  • Fellows will have exposure to principles of conducting clinical research, scientific communications, grantsmanship, surgical education, and research ethics.
• Outcomes
  • It is anticipated that all fellows conduct at least two clinical or scientific research projects that result in finished manuscripts ready for publication. This may range from a short-term clinical research project to a more sophisticated clinical investigation or laboratory science project.

Tina Wei-Fang Yen, MD, MS
Professor of Surgery
Program Director, Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship
Training: Harvard Medical School, MA (MD), University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, WA (General Surgery Residency), The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX (Surgical Oncology Fellowship), Medical College of Wisconsin, WI (MS in Epidemiology)

Jed Calata, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Training: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA (MD), University of Illinois at Chicago, Metropolitan Group Hospitals (General Surgery Residency), John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County (Colon & Rectal Surgery Fellowship)

Kathleen K. Christians, MD
Professor of Surgery
Associate Program Director, Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship
Training: University of Iowa College of Medicine (MD), Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, WI (General Surgery Residency), Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, WI (Critical Care Fellowship), University of Hong Kong, China (Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Fellowship)

Callisia N. Clarke, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Surgery, Chief of Surgical Oncology
Training: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH (MD), University of Cincinnati, OH (General Surgery Residency), The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, TX (Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship)

Adrienne N. Cobb, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Training: Indiana University School of Medicine (MD), Loyola University Medical Center (General Surgery Residency), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship), Loyola University Medical Center (MS in Clinical Research Methods and Epidemiology)

Chandler S. Cortina, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Training: Louisiana State University, LA (MD), Rush University Medical Center, IL (General Surgery Residency), Northwestern University, IL (Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship)

Adam D. Currey, MD
Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology
Training: Medical College of Wisconsin, WI (MD), Medical College of Wisconsin, WI (Internship and Radiation Oncology Residency)

Sophie Y. Dream, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Training: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH (MD), Henry Ford Hospital, MI (General Surgery Residency), University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL (Endocrine Surgery Fellowship)

Douglas B. Evans, MD
Donald C. Ausman Family Foundation Professor of Surgery; Professor, Surgical Oncology; Chair, Department of Surgery
Training: Boston University School of Medicine (MD), Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, NH (Internship and General Surgery Residency), University of Texas, M D Anderson Cancer Center (Surgical Oncology Fellowship)

T. Clark Gamblin, MD, MS, MBA
Professor, Surgical Oncology; Stuart D. Wilson Professor of Surgery; Vice Chair, Off-Campus Clinical Operations
Training: University of Mississippi Medical School, MS (MD), University of Pittsburgh, PA (MS), Mercer University, GA (Internship and General Surgery Residency), University of Pittsburgh, PA (Surgical Oncology Fellowship)

Alexandra C. Istl, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Training: Western University, Ontario (MD), Western University, (General Surgery Residency), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (MPH)

Julie Jorns, MD
Professor of Pathology
Training: Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Breast Pathology Fellowship), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Surgical Pathology Fellowship)

Amanda L. Kong, MD, MS
Professor of Surgery
Training: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University (MD), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York (General Surgery Residency), M D Anderson Cancer Center (Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship), Medical College of Wisconsin (Epidemiology MS)

Anai N. Kothari, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Associate Program Director, Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship
Training: Harvard-MIT Department of Health, Sciences, and Technology, Harvard Medical School-Boston (MD), Loyola University Medical Center-IL (General Surgery Residency), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center-Houston, TX (Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship)

Kirk A. Ludwig, MD
Professor of Surgery
Training: University of Cincinnati Medical Center (MD), Medical College of Wisconsin (General Surgery Residency), Cleveland Clinic (Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship)

Ugwuji N. Maduekwe, MD, MMSc, MPH
Associate Professor of Surgery
Training: Harvard-MIT Department of Health, Sciences and Technology, Harvard Medical School (MD), Massachusetts General Hospital (General Surgery Residency), University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship), Harvard Medical School (MMSc in Clinical Science), University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health (MPH) 

Caitlin R. Patten, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Training: Medical College of Wisconsin, WI (MD), Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, WI (Internship and General Surgery Residency), Carolinas Medical Center (Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship)

Carrie Peterson, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Surgery
Training: Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), University of California, San Diego (General Surgery Residency Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York (Colorectal Oncology Fellowship), Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York (Colorectal Surgery Fellowship), Medical College of Wisconsin (MS in Clinical & Translational Research)

Timothy J. Ridolfi, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Surgery
Training: Medical College of Wisconsin (MD), Medical College of Wisconsin (General Surgery Residency), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, (Colorectal Surgery Fellowship), Medical College of Wisconsin (MS in Clinical & Translational Research)

Tracy S. Wang, MD, MPH
Professor of Surgery
Training: Albert Einstein College of Medicine (MD), Long Island Jewish Medical Center (General Surgery Residency), Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University (MPH), Yale University School of Medicine (Endocrine Surgery Fellowship)

Ricardo J. Bello, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center
Richmond, VA

Chad A. Barnes, MD
Health System Clinician
Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center
Orland Park, IL

Erin P. Ward, MD
Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology
University of Utah

• See Society of Surgical Oncology for more information, application timeline and match resources.
• ERAS - Applications and supporting documentation are accepted only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
  • MCWAH CGSO ERAS Program ID: 4465644002
  • The following documents are required for your application:
    • Three letters of recommendation
    • Copy of Medical School Diploma or transcript showing date degree conferred
    • USMLE Steps I, II and III Transcript and/or all COMLEX Transcripts
    • Canadian Medical Graduates who do not have a USMLE transcript must submit the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) transcripts
    • Personal Statement
    • CV curriculum vitae
    • Recent photograph
    • American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) report
    • ECFMG status report, as applicable
  • Applicants chosen for interview will be notified via email by the program manager

NRMP – The program participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

• Candidates are required to register for the NRMP Specialties Matching Service (SMS) Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship Match.
• MCWAH CGSO NRMP Program ID: 1784446F0

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