Surgery About Us Message from the Chair Department Values Life in Orange County Contact Us Education & Training Clerkships & Electives Surgery Residency Program Fellowship Programs Continuing Medical Education Research Innovation & Invention Impactful Research Seed Grants Resources Divisions Cardiac Surgery Colon and Rectal Surgery Emergency General Surgery Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery Surgical Oncology Thoracic Surgery Transplantation Surgery Trauma, Burns, Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Clinical Expertise Faculty Message from the Chair Home Research Research: Clinical Departments Surgery: Home Surgery: About Us Surgery: About Us > Message From The Chair Welcome Welcome to UC Irvine’s Department of Surgery! Our department boasts a distinguished, multidisciplinary team of faculty members who excel as both accomplished surgeons and dedicated educators and dedicated clinical staff and administrators. This cohesive group of specialists brings together a wealth of expertise, fostering an environment of collaborative excellence in both surgical practice and academic instruction. The Department of Surgery is comprised of the following divisions: Cardiac Surgery Colon and Rectal Surgery Emergency General Surgery Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Pediatric Surgery Surgical Oncology (including the Breast Health Center) Thoracic Surgery Transplant Surgery Trauma, Critical Care, Burns and Acute Care Surgery Vascular Surgery Our goals are to train the next generation of exemplary surgeons, providing the highest quality surgical education to our medical students, surgical residents, fellows and community surgeons; lead innovative basic and translational research; provide exceptional clinical care; and make a positive impact on our patients and our community. The UC Irvine Medical Center is designated by the American College of Surgeons as a Level I Trauma Center and by the American Burn Association as a verified Burn Center. The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute and, together with the Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, integrates and coordinates clinical care, education and research. As Orange County's only academic medical center and one of California's largest teaching hospitals, UC Irvine continues to be on the forefront of innovation. Our award-winning faculty consists of surgeons who are repeatedly listed in Best Doctors in America, Guide to America's Top Surgeons and Consumer's Guide to Top Doctors. The UC Irvine Medical Center, renowned for its numerous accolades and exceptional capabilities, stands as a premier referral hub for the community, specializing in the management of intricate medical conditions. This distinguished status creates an optimal learning environment for our students and trainees, offering them excellent educational opportunities within cutting-edge care facilities. Our diverse patient population further enriches this experience, exposing learners to a wide spectrum of medical cases and cultural contexts. UC Irvine’s faculty members, which include Nobel laureates and members of the National Academies of Sciences, serve as national leaders in basic and applied research. Their scientific innovations and discoveries have been responsible for many new technologies and therapies that have improved healthcare. For more than 50 years, the Department of Surgery has been dedicated to helping patients live well and stay well. We strive to advance surgical science, provide world-class patient care with a human touch, and ensure all trainees receive the broadest and most comprehensive surgical education. Ninh Nguyen, MD Chair & Professor, Department of Surgery