General Surgery Residency

Welcome from the Program Director, Dr. Tanner

Welcome to the University of Nebraska General Surgery Residency Program. We are a large academic medical center with modern facilities and broad training opportunities for our residents. We care about our trainees' success, and we continuously strive to create a healthy environment for our residents to work and develop the skills to become a competent and compassionate surgeon. 

Our program has four categorical positions, two research positions available for the first year of training in general surgery. We know that the transition into residency can be hard, so we support our first-year residents by pairing them with a third-year resident, who has gone through formal training on coaching, in addition to being assigned to faculty mentor. 

Our program offers a balanced clinical exposure across diverse practice settings including an academic center here at UNMC, private practice at Methodist Hospital, pediatric surgery at Children’s Nebraska, and rural practice at Mary Lanning in Hastings, Nebraska. We have extensive skills training programs at the Dr. Edwin G. and Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center, one of the largest simulation centers in the country. Our dedicated faculty have a special interest in providing high-quality surgical education with a wide spectrum of training pathways and research opportunities.  

We ensure our trainees have autonomy and accountability while being treated with respect. UNMC graduates are board-certified and practice-ready regardless of their chosen specialty and work environment.  

The Department of Surgery, and the university as a whole, are committed to providing excellence in patient care, resident training and student education and in fostering the growth of new knowledge through both basic and clinical research. Our goal is for you to reach your goals.

New for the 2026–2027 Application Cycle Dedicated 7 Year Research Track