Welcome!

Welcome to the Mercy Medical Center/Des Moines University General Surgery Residency program. Established in 1960,our program is one of the oldest and most respected in the osteopathic profession. The program has a history ofpreparing outstanding general surgeons to assume leadership positions in communities all over the country, as well as, academic positions in medical schools and teaching hospitals throughout the osteopathic and allopathic profession.

Our five-year non-pyramid program with four residents at each PGY 1-5 level is structured to provide residents with a strong didactic background in the basic surgical sciences while simultaneously developing progressive outstanding technical skills. This prepares the residents to practice competently in the rural or urban community setting or to pursue subspecialty training in other fields such as oncology, vascular, cardiothoracic, colorectal and trauma/critical care surgery. Our chief residents will complete approximately 1,200-1,500 operative procedures with a wide scope and variety by the time they complete our 5-year program. An optional one-year research program at the end of PGY 3 is available for selected residents desiring to pursue important topics in surgical research.

A dedicated and diverse faculty with expertise in a variety of surgical subspecialties ensure that residents at all levels have the opportunity to develop into a caring, empathic surgeons who are not just competent in the art and science of surgery, but have the skills to become leaders in any endeavor which they choose to pursue in their surgical career. The strong and genuine camaraderie of the residents and staff further strengthen this program, which, while highly competitive to enter, places resident education and the process of life-long learning as the cornerstone of all future success.

We invite you to explore our program as you consider options in your surgical career. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Sincerely,

Kendall Reed, D.O., F.A.C.O.S., F.A.C.S.
Co-Director of Medical Education
Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines