Surgery Residency

Saint Luke’s is one of the key training sites for the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine's (UMKC) surgical program.

Elective surgery rotations include minimally invasive surgery, bariatric surgery, colorectal surgery, surgical oncology, and breast surgery. Saint Luke’s trains residents to successfully conduct acute care, trauma, critical care, transplant, and hepatobiliary pancreatic procedures.

This training program has a well-respected reputation nationwide and is highly competitive with high-surgery volume, hands-on experience, and depth of instruction. Typically, there are 12 open program slots each year, including five for individuals in their first program year.

Program training

At Saint Luke’s, leading-edge technology, including frequent use of laparoscopy and robotics, is an important part of the surgery residency. Residents who have successfully finished the program are credentialed and proficient in robotic surgery.

Participants in this surgery program will perform more than 1,000 surgeries, receiving extensive training at four Kansas City metro hospitals: Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and University Health.

The training program offers:

• Access to leading-edge technology, such as the two da Vinci Xi surgical robots used for teaching laparoscopic and robotic surgery techniques.
• Practice performing a wide variety of procedures varying in complexity.
• Clinical and operative training with an emphasis on enhancing technical skills in the operating room.
• Instructors are fellowship-trained in advanced laparoscopic surgery who have extensive teaching experience that ensures residents’ full competency.

Achievements and accolades

• The percentage of graduating chief residents obtaining a fellowship in surgery is approximately 70%.
• Most past surgery residents have research papers published.
• The program has a 30-year history of training hundreds of surgeons.

Saint Luke's faculty

Bariatric

• Brent Sorensen, MD

Breast

• Tammy Neblock-Beirne, MD
• John Shook, MD

Colorectal

• Benjamin Kulow, MD

Critical Care/Trauma

• Andrew Benedict, MD
• Sean Nix, DO

General Surgery

• Dennis Arce, MD
• Megan McNally, MD
• B. Todd Moore, MD

Transplant/Hepatobiliary

• Jameson Forster, MD
• Matthew Wilkinson, MD

Application process

To be considered for our program, the following materials must be submitted through Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS):

• Completed ERAS application
• Three letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Medical school transcript
• Dean’s letter
• USMLE scores: minimum of 220 on Step 1 and 230 on Step 2 CK

Interview dates can be found here.

More information

We welcome your interest in the General Surgery residency program. Learn more about salary and benefits.

For more information, contact program coordinator Donita Dalton at Donita.Dalton@tmcmed.org.

About Kansas City

Saint Luke’s is proud to call Kansas City home. With locations on both sides of the state line, the health system serves more than 2.1 million people and 240 neighborhoods in Kansas and Missouri. USA Today has regularly named Kansas City a top area for affordability, high-quality schools, and low traffic. Learn more at visitkc.com.