A Message from the Chairman

The Department of Surgery at the University of Vermont College of Medicine has established a strong tradition of high-quality clinical care, student and resident education, and surgical research during its 115-year history. Through its affiliation with Fletcher Allen Health Care, the Department has expanded its clinical operation and now has 67 faculty members.

The University of Vermont College of Medicine/Fletcher Allen Health Care is the only tertiary hospital in the State of Vermont serving a catchment population of approximately one million patients. Although we are located in a rural environment, the University of Vermont College of Medicine/Fletcher Allen Health Care provides all of the services associated with large urban academic medical centers and was the first rural hospital to be verified as a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons.

To accommodate the patient volume and to improve educational facilities, Fletcher Allen Health Care embarked on a Renaissance Project, which was complete in the fall of 2005. This project added operating rooms, an educational center, an ambulatory care facility and an expanded and enhanced emergency room to the Medical Center Campus.

The Department provides a unique experience for the surgical residents by having a first-rate academic center in a rural environment. The stability of the faculty and staff provide for a learning environment that is humane and personal. The large catchment area provides residents with an opportunity to manage a wide variety of surgical diseases. In addition to bedside and operating room teaching, each of the residency training programs utilizes a formal didactic curriculum that includes surgeon-performed ultrasound and a full outpatient experience.

David McFadden, MD
Professor and Chairman
Department of Surgery