Welcome from Dr. John Olson

Today, the idiom “Full Circle” usually refers to the situation where one returns to a place of beginning.  However, the first use of ”the Wheel is come full circle”  is attributed to Shakespeare (King Lear, Act 5, scene 3) in reference to Fortuna, the mythical Goddess of chance, who would spin a wheel to change […]

Wise Words – Fall 2022

Education stands at the core of a strong academic General Surgery residency program. Here in the Department of Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, we believe that an innovative and intentional curriculum focused on what the residents truly need is key to a strong and effective education porgram. As such, our resident-led Curriculum Committee […]

Wise Words – Fall 2021 Newsletter

Recruitment season is upon us! The General Surgery Residency team is hard at work preparing to interview applicants, having already completed one of five interview dates after receiving and reviewing over 1300 applications for our nine categorical positions for the 2022 Match. In addition to the reviews, we have held a number of themed “virtual open […]

General Surgery Residency Newsletter Summer 2021 – Wise Words

Reinvent. Tumultuous. Pivot. Challenge.  These words resonate when reflecting on the last few months and even the last year. As these words imply, it has been a rollercoaster ride throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, the kind of ride where we gripped the handrails to keep up with the pace and at times appreciated that we […]

Spring 2021 Wise Words

It has been just over one year since we first began facing the COVID-19 pandemic in such a tangible and dramatic way. From campus shutdowns to clinic changes, daily screens to vaccinations, virtual recruitment to Zoom conferences – this past year has brought change after unexpected change. Despite these difficulties and the need to reinvent […]

“Wise Words”

Seemingly every aspect of 2020 has been unexpected. From the personal sacrifices to clinical challenges, from shut-downs to a virtual graduation ceremony, from virtual and socially-distanced intern orientation to virtual education conferences, simulation labs and assessments, this year has altered every aspect of surgical education. We are incredibly and sincerely thankful for everyone who has […]