Why Train at UC Davis Health?
At UC Davis Health Department of Surgery, we’re known not only for excellence in training the next generation of surgeons, but for cultivating collaborative relationships that extend beyond the operating room. We stand strong behind our commitment to fostering a welcoming and supportive culture of equity, inclusion and diversity for the members of our faculty, trainees, team members and most importantly, our patients.
Why Train At UC Davis Health Information Sheet - PDF
Our Clinical Care Advantage
The UC Davis Health Department of Surgery is among the most highly regarded surgical programs in the nation. With a history rich in clinical, academic and research achievements, we sit proudly at the forefront of medicine. Through a culture of collaboration, our well-regarded surgeons pioneer groundbreaking advances in patient care, push the boundaries of medical research, and educate the brightest minds in medicine.
"UC Davis Medical Center ranked as one of the nation’s best hospitals for 2020-21 in 9 adult medical specialties, according to the annual U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals survey published in July 2020."
World-Class Care
The prominence and quality of UC Davis Health Department of Surgery further the patient-care mission at the UC Davis Medical Center. As inland Northern California's only academic medical center and only level 1 trauma center, the UC Davis medical center provides patients with access to the latest technological advances and investigational drugs and therapies.
As the main tertiary care referral center for a 33-county area of more than six million residents, the 627-bed hospital and 150-plus specialty clinics provide a diverse patient population for a well-rounded medical school education. UC Davis Health admits tens of thousands of patients per year and handles nearly 1 million visits, and the medical center’s emergency room can see more than 200 patients per day on average.
Nationally Ranked, Regionally Recognized, Locally Praised
Regionally, U.S. News & World Report ranks UC Davis Medical Center as number 1 in the greater Sacramento area and among the top ten best hospitals in California. Nationally, UC Davis School of Medicine is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s best hospitals in for 2020-2021 in adult medical specialties including surgery.
Because of the breadth of the talent and resources of the UC Davis Health, we’re able to offer a caliber of training and patient care found only in a high-volume academic medical center.
Our program at UC Davis offers excellent career outcomes with 4 out of 5 general surgery residents pursuing fellowships after graduation. Most residents pursuing fellowships were matched to their top ranked programs, with 50% being accepted into their number one choice. Residents who chose not to pursue fellowship successfully enter private practice or military service confidently and competently with the skills they’ve learned here.
The UC Davis Department of Surgery is nationally recognized for the excellence of its surgical training programs and consistently attracts outstanding candidates. As a surgery resident at UC Davis, you’ll join a department committed to your academic, professional and personal success. Our residency program offers:
- A wide variety and number of surgical cases at one of the nation’s best ranked hospitals.
- Flexible and multidisciplinary cross-training as you learn from more than 75 full-time faculty.
- Opportunities to combine surgical training with clinical, basic science, translational, and outcomes research.
- Optional research time between the 3rd and 4th clinical year to pursue academic or career development interests.
- Broad exposure to clinical surgery through opportunities to rotate through a variety of hospitals, allowing residents to take care of patients in many different practice settings (university research hospital - level 1 trauma center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente HMO hospital, and a small community hospital in South Lake Tahoe)
- Strong mentoring and supportive relationships with well-respected faculty who are at the top of their field.
Our program has excellent career outcomes for our graduates.
- Top fellowship acceptance rates, with 84% of our general surgery residents accepted into their top selected fellowship programs and 50% accepted into their 1st choice.
- Excellent board pass rates
- 100% Written Board pass rate for 10+ years straight
- Only University affiliated program on the West Coast with 100% Oral Board (CE) pass rate over past 3 years
- 92% overall Board Pass rate (QE / CE) over last 5 years – highest in the nation for a program with over 8 graduates/year
Learn more about why UC Davis is a great place to train HERE.
Our Geographic Advantage
Ask anyone what they love about Sacramento and you’re likely to hear, “it’s so close to everything… like Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Yosemite, Napa Valley.”
Centrally located in Northern California, Sacramento is considered one of the state’s most affordable cities. Known as California and America’s Farm-to-Fork capital, Sacramento is a uniquely located city that has the approachability of a town with all the amenities that the 6th largest city in California has to offer. With mild winters and copious amounts of sunshine, you’ll find Sacramento a great place to spend time outdoors and visit nearby nature reserves, parks and extensive recreation opportunities.
As one of the fastest growing cities in California, we are home to a vibrant downtown, historic Old Sacramento waterfront, museums, sports and over 200 wineries in the region. As part of Sacramento’s impressive art and culture scene, the Wide Open Walls Mural Festival supported more than 650 murals in the region. We are home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, brand new MLS Sacramento Republic FC, the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats, and the Capital leg of the Amgen Bike Tour of California.
For more information about Sacramento, Visit Sacramento has information on hotels, things to do and an updated event calendar. You can also download the Sacramento Field Guide for things to do and neighborhoods to explore.
Learn more about living in Sacramento:
https://health.ucdavis.edu/mdprogram/studentlife/living-in-sacramento.html
Our Research Advantage
Scientific curiosity and a strong commitment to improving our patients’ quality of life guide our Department of Surgery researchers. Proudly ranked 13th by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to US Medical Schools, our research program encompasses basic science, translation and health services investigation. We excel at translating scientific discoveries and new technologies into improved patient care.
At UC Davis, our clinicians and researchers gain the benefit of intercampus collaboration with access to the university’s nationally ranked resources, including the School of Veterinary Medicine, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, College of Biological Sciences and College of Engineering.