Colorectal Fellowship Mission and Aims

Mission statement
The Southern Illinois University Colorectal Surgery Training Program is a collaborative effort involving the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Department of Surgery and the Springfield Clinic Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery. The mission of the program and its faculty:
 • provide state of the art training in colorectal surgery for subspecialty trainees to prepare them for safe autonomous practice
 • instruct general surgery residents and medical students regarding state of the art colorectal surgery practice
 • provide consistently outstanding patient care to residents of downstate Illinois and its surroundings; provide outstanding consultative services to colleagues
 • educate trainees regarding identification of clinical research questions as well as details of study design and conduct; participate in quality programs supported by Springfield Memorial Hospital
 • prepare trainees for specialty board certification examinations
 • communicate respectfully and professionally with colleagues, patients, and their family members, and teach these skills to trainees

Aims
Instruct and support the colorectal surgery trainee in attaining and demonstrating proficiency in evaluation of elective and urgent presentations in the field of colorectal surgery and appropriate planning for evaluation and intervention; proficiency in operative and endoscopic technique, including management of unexpected intraoperative findings and events; and excellence in routine and complicated postoperative management. Instruct and support the colorectal surgery trainee in attaining and demonstrating ability to communicate clearly, respectfully, and professionally with colleagues also providing care for colorectal surgery patients, as well as with allied health professionals. Instruct and support the colorectal surgery trainee in attaining and demonstrating identification of clinical research questions including quality and outcomes studies, study design, data analysis, and manuscript writing and editing. Instruct and support the colorectal surgery trainee in attaining experience in critical evaluation of the surgical literature. Prepare the resident for success in the subspecialty Board examinations and safe autonomous colorectal surgery practice.