Clinical training

During Mayo Clinic's Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Fellowship, you will work closely with Mayo Clinic's three colon and rectal surgeons. You will participate in elective preoperative patient evaluations, operative procedures, postoperative care, and emergency colorectal conditions.

Time will be spent in the operating room, gaining experience in the surgical management of diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus.

Minimally invasive surgery and enhanced recovery pathways are a significant part of the practice and trainees will gain significant experience in this approach.

On nonoperative days, fellows run a daily anorectal surgery clinic with their faculty mentors. You will gain experience in complex colonoscopy, learn techniques for assessment of pelvic floor dysfunction, such as anorectal manometry, and work closely with our enterostomal therapists in the management of stomas and stoma complications.

Rotation schedule

You will complete a four-week rotation with each of the three faculty members. During each of these rotations, you will be involved in pre-and post-operative care and operate with your faculty.

You will also participate in emergency call on a rotating basis. Nonoperative days are spent in the anorectal surgery clinic with your faculty, performing complex colonoscopies and learning techniques for the assessment of pelvic floor dysfunction.

Didactic training

Clinical conferences, seminars, journal clubs, and one-on-one instruction are all integral parts of Mayo Clinic's Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Fellowship. You will participate in:

• A weekly dedicated Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery educational conference that includes moderated, formally structured, case presentations by fellows and a didactic lecture by the faculty based on an ASCRS textbook
• A quarterly combined Colon and Rectal Surgery/Inflammatory Bowel Disease conference that includes case presentations by fellows and/or a didactic lecture by faculty
• A weekly seminar series in surgery that is sponsored by the Department of General Surgery and attended by fellows and faculty members
• A quarterly visiting faculty program that features national and world leaders in colon and rectal surgery
• Journal club is held eight times per year, each one hosted by faculty
• An extensive schedule of optional didactic conferences in many surgical and medical subspecialties and basic sciences

Research training

A structured research orientation will take place upon your arrival to present you with opportunities to pursue both clinical and basic research at our institution. We have tremendous resources, including extensive procedural databases, statisticians, and available funding. You will be encouraged to pursue one or more projects, submit an abstract to a national or international meeting and publish in highly recognized surgical journals.

Teaching opportunities

Fellows teach by giving formal didactic lectures during the Morning Colon and Rectal Surgery Conference and the quarterly Inflammatory Bowel Disease/Colon and Rectal Surgery combined conference. Fellows also engage in daily teaching on rounds, in the operating room, and in the clinic with general surgery fellows and medical students. Fellows also give formal didactic lectures to allied health staff throughout the year. Additionally, fellows participate in educational activities in the general surgery training program in the simulation center and cadaver.

Conferences

• Weekly Colon and Rectal Surgery educational conference
• Monthly journal club hosted by each faculty member
• Morbidity and Mortality conference held weekly
• Related pathology and radiology studies Tumor Boards every three weeks
• Bi-Weekly and Monthly Case-based teaching conferences
• Monthly Medical Surgical GI rounds
• Other education activities will be scheduled throughout the year
• Fellows present at selected conferences during their fellowship 

Evaluation

Competency-based assessment in a 360-degree format is used for fellow evaluation. To ensure you gain proficiency and develop the corresponding technical skills, your performance is monitored and assessed in the clinical and a simulated environment throughout the year. You are formally evaluated by your supervising faculty member and a mid-level provider following the completion of each clinical rotation and then meet with the program director to review these evaluations. You will also be evaluated by patients and faculty will evaluate your participation in journal club and case presentations at conferences. In addition, you regularly evaluate the faculty to ensure your educational goals are being met.