Colorectal Surgery
Colorectal Surgery Fellowship
Message from the Program Director
Thank you for your interest in the University of South Florida’s Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship Program. As Program Director, I am thrilled to introduce you to a transformative training experience designed to shape you into an exceptional colorectal surgeon.
Our program is committed to excellence in clinical care, surgical innovation, and academic leadership. Here, you will train alongside a dedicated team of world-class faculty in a high-volume, diverse clinical environment. Our comprehensive curriculum emphasizes advanced surgical techniques, multidisciplinary patient care, and cutting-edge research, ensuring you gain the skills and confidence to excel in this dynamic field.
We prioritize your professional growth, offering mentorship, hands-on operative experience, and opportunities to contribute to groundbreaking research. Our collaborative culture fosters lifelong learning and prepares you to lead with compassion and expertise.
We seek passionate, driven candidates ready to embrace the challenges and rewards of colorectal surgery. Join us to make a lasting impact on patients’ lives and the future of our specialty.
I look forward to reviewing your application and potentially welcoming you to our program.
Sincerely,
Lisa Moudgill, MD, FACS, FASCRS
Program Director, USF Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship
Program Description
The University of South Florida Colon and Rectal Surgery fellowship is a prestigious one-year clinical training program that provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary training in the management of diseases affecting the colon, rectum, and anus. Our ACGME-accredited program offers two clinical positions each academic year, ensuring personalized and focused training. Fellows work closely with our team of six board-certified colorectal surgeons, all of whom are dedicated to excellence in clinical care, research, and education. This program is designed to cultivate expertise, leadership, and innovation in colorectal surgery.
Clinical Rotations
Fellows rotate every month at two clinical sites: Tampa General Hospital and James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. Fellows only take call to cover patients at Tampa General Hospital. It is not expected for the fellow to commute to two different clinical sites in one day.
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The primary clinical site for the fellowship is TGH, a 1006-bed teaching hospital affiliated with the USF Morsani College of Medicine. The Colorectal Surgery Service at TGH includes five board certified colorectal surgeons, PGY-5, 2 and 1 general surgery residents, medical students, and multiple advanced practice providers in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. While the inpatient team functions in unison, the service line is split into primary patients and the consult service. The colorectal surgery fellow assigned to the TGH rotation is expected to round on the consult service line in the mornings with a junior resident, while the PGY-5 resident manages the primary patients. There usually are OR cases every day of the week. Fellows are assigned to outpatient clinic once a week at TGH.
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Additionally, fellows rotate part-time at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital (JAHVH), a 415-bed teaching hospital also affiliated with the USF Morsani College of Medicine. Wednesdays at JAHVH are dedicated to performing lower endoscopies at the Endoscopy suite while Thursdays are dedicated OR days. On Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays, the fellow assigned to JAHVH rotation reports to TGH to help cover cases and manage patients. The fellow assigned to JAHVH does not have morning rounding duties as the general surgery resident team at JAHVH covers the patients and call.
Education Curriculum
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Every Monday, fellows get protected time for education attending USF general surgery M&M conference and grand rounds. Faculty lead structured lectures for the fellows, covering topics from the ASCRS textbook. Additional sessions focusing on written and oral board preparation, research activities, and journal clubs are also provided.
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Fellows also actively participate in the following clinical conferences:
- USF Department of Surgery M&M and Grand Rounds (weekly)
- Multidisciplinary Tumor Board (weekly)
- Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Disease Conference (monthly)
- Colorectal surgery M&M conference (every 3 months)
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The fellowship program fully funds fellows to attend the annual ASCRS meeting. Stipends to support General Surgery Board preparation as well as Colorectal Surgery Board preparation are provided. In addition, we encourage fellows to attend various industry and surgical society sponsored courses.
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Fellows have the opportunity to be involved in a dedicated fellows' clinic, which enhances their experience of providing continuous care in an outpatient setting. This clinic experience exposes fellows to clinical coordination and billing, significantly improving their preparedness for the post-training practice phase.
Clinical Research
Engagement in clinical research is a crucial aspect of the fellowship. The Division of Colorectal Surgery collaborates closely with USF Health, Morsani College of Medicine, in translational research focused on colorectal malignancies and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Our dedicated William R. Jacobsen Postdoctoral Research Fellow works closely with the translational laboratory and on additional outcomes research projects, creating opportunities for prospective fellows. The division is actively involved in several clinical trials, providing fellows exposure to the latest advancements and topics in colorectal surgery. Fellows are expected to take part in at least one clinical research project during the year, with the aim of presenting an abstract at a national meeting and publishing a manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal. The program offers comprehensive research education and support, promoting the development of academic surgeons contributing to the progress of colorectal surgery.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Our program offers robust exposure to minimally invasive techniques, including a high volume of robotic surgery with intracorporeal anastomosis (including single incision robotic surgery), laparoscopic, and transanal minimally invasive approaches. Every robotic case is booked with a dual surgeon console on the Da Vinci Xi and a dedicated registered nurse first-assist at bedside to ensure maximal operative experience for the fellow. We also have a Da Vinci SP robot for transanal cases. This comprehensive training ensures that fellows are proficient in the latest surgical technologies and techniques, making them highly competitive in the field.
Application Process
Our fellows are selected through the National Residency Match Program. Eligible applicants must have completed or be on track to complete a general surgery residency program and be eligible to take the American Board of Surgery examinations. Applications should be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) via www.aamc.org.
Application Information – 2026-2027 Academic Year
Interview invites will be sent out the first week of August 2025. There will be three virtual interview dates for the 2025-2026 academic year:
- September 8, 2025
- September 15, 2025
- September 22, 2025
Benefits
Please see the following helpful links regarding the benefits we offer.
- Complimentary Health insurance
- Mental Health and Wellness
- “The Office of Graduate Medical Education at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is committed to ensuring that our residents and fellows remain physically, financially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy while completing their training program. Residency and fellowship training can be a stressful time, and it is important to know about resources available to you.”
- Lots of helpful info/links here (from GME website)
- Link to Various Wellness Resources
- Meals
- GME provides Meal Card funding for all trainees who rotate on a TGH inpatient rotations only, not to exceed a total of $1440 annually per trainee. The calculation is made based on the block schedule and will vary among trainees.
- Access to Fitness Facilities
- Trainees have 24/7 access to the TGH gym as well as the USF Fitness Center on Main Campus.
- TGH Gym Flyer
- Allotted Leave
- Starting July 1, 2025, the available leave will be…
- Annual Leave - 20 days
- Sick Leave - 15 Days
- Parental/Medical/Caregiver Leave (for an approved event) - 10 days
- Conference Leave Policy
- Conference Leave: A Program Director may authorize paid leave for a Resident in good standing to present at local, regional, or national educational meetings. Such paid leave is limited up to five (5) days each contract year, is not considered part of the Resident’s annual leave, and may not be carried forward to subsequent years. Conference leave must be preapproved at least eight (8) weeks in advance with additional approval from the VA DEO if the absence involves a VA rotation.
Contact Information
Program Coordinator
Sean Gill
Sgill2@usf.edu
Program Director
Lisa Moudgill, MD, FACS, FASCRS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, USF Health
lisa.moudgill@va.gov