Welcome to the UW–Madison Department of Surgery, one of the leading surgical programs in the nation, excelling in patient care, surgical education, and surgical research. We are composed of more than 130 full-time faculty across 10 divisions and nearly 200 additional staff who support our mission.
A Perennial Top Tier Research Department!
Our surgeons perform almost 20,000 operations per year for pediatric and adult patients in the specialties of acute care and regional general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, colorectal surgery, endocrine surgery, minimally invasive surgery, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, surgical oncology, transplant surgery, and vascular surgery.
Training the next generation of surgeons and clinician-scientists is integral in our department, with more than 100 residents and fellows being trained each year in three residencies and eight different surgical specialty fellowship training programs.
The Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery transitioned to a separate department, effective July 1, 2025. Its new department website can be found HERE.
Resident Experience
Wondering what it’s like to be a resident at Wisconsin Surgery? Visit our Resident Experience page.
Wisconsin Surgery: By the Numbers
Exceptional People. Extraordinary Results.
Moving Surgery Forward.
The Department of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin provides comprehensive educational experiences, groundbreaking research and superb patient care.
UW Surgery Latest News
Dr. John Hoch to retire after more than 30 years at UW
It’s unusual for anyone to spend their entire professional career at one organization, let alone a highly successful surgeon, but Dr. John Hoch is one of those rare cases. Following the completion of his fellowship …
Long and Winding Road Leads to Madison: Dr. DeCamp’s impact validates unusual recruitment
Dr. Malcolm (Mac) DeCamp’s recruitment to the Wisconsin Department of Surgery was anything but straightforward. Dr. Michael Bentz was the interim chair of the department at the time. He was leading the search for a …
Making his Mark: Celebrating Dr. Bentz’s career at UW
In 1999, though he had no particular affiliation to the Midwest in general or to Wisconsin specifically, Dr. Michael Bentz was intrigued enough about the opening the University of Wisconsin had for the position of …
Wisconsin Surgery Research Roundup: May 2025
Wisconsin Department of Surgery members engage in remarkable research that yields many impactful publications every month. We’re highlighting several of these publications monthly to showcase the diversity of research in the department; see selections from …
Welcome Our New Residents
The Department of Surgery is excited to welcome our next class of exceptional surgical residents! Today, June 24, marks their first official day at Wisconsin Surgery. We can’t wait to see what their future holds. …
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DEI & Well-Being
Learn about the diversity, equity, inclusion, and well-being resources in the Department of Surgery.
Information For
Educational Opportunities
- Surgery Grand Rounds
- Voice & Swallow Clinics Lecture Series
- GlovesOn
- Outreach Talks
- Clinical Simulation Program
Our online surgery Grand Rounds are offered each year, September through May, for free CE credit with self-assessment.
Our Voice & Swallow Clinics Lecture Series is comprised of expert lectures recorded live during private offerings held at the UW Voice & Swallow Clinic that you can review to earn CEU credit year round.
Learn more about our Voice & Swallow Clinics Lecture Series.
The GlovesOn goal is to educate the region’s surgeons on techniques available at UW Health to expand and enhance their surgical practice.
Our doctors are available to speak on a variety of surgery topics for your monthly or weekly journal clubs, case conferences, grand rounds and tumor boards.
The UW Health Clinical Simulation Program provides robust and realistic learning opportunities to prepare health care professionals for actual patient care situations. The center offers educational opportunities for students, faculty and staff from UW Health, the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, departments across UW-Madison and the community.