Vascular Surgery Independent Fellowship

Baylor College of Medicine has been a leader in the field of vascular surgery for over five decades. The high standards of excellence and spirit of innovation originally established by Dr. E. Stanley Crawford are still alive and flourishing today.

The ACGME Independent pathway for vascular surgery independent fellowship training program accepts trainees who have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited General Surgery Program, into a two-year Vascular Surgery training paradigm. Upon completion, trainees are eligible for dual General Surgery Certification and Vascular Surgery Certification by the American Board of Surgery and the Vascular Surgery Board. There is also a 0-5 Integrated training program that accepts applicants directly from medical school. 

The Vascular Surgery Independent Fellowship Program provides comprehensive training in the evaluation, treatment, and longitudinal care of vascular patients with best medical, open surgical and catheter-based endoluminal therapy. Fellow trainees work in a stimulating, collaborative environment that emphasizes clinical excellence. Training sites are diverse and include Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, Texas Children’s Hospital and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.

This training program includes a broad clinical experience in all aspects of vascular surgery, including but not limited to the noninvasive vascular laboratory, carotid occlusive disease, complex aortic aneurysm, visceral and renal artery disease, lower extremity occlusive disease, limb salvage, diabetic foot, acute and chronic venous disease, dialysis access management.

The primary goal of each program is to produce highly competent vascular surgeons who achieve board certification and enter independent practice fully prepared to offer the highest standards of vascular care.

Over the past four decades, more than 120 vascular surgeons from the United States and other countries have completed our training program and many have become leaders in vascular surgery around the world. Our recent graduates have been successful in establishing clinical careers of their choice, including academic and community-based practices.

Clinical rotations during this two-year fellowship take place at affiliated hospitals, which includes safety net (public/county) and VA hospitals, as well as a large tertiary cardiovascular hospital. Fellowship rotations in these clinically diverse environments provide well-balanced training, which prepares our trainees to embark on either an academic or private-practice career path.

Clinical rotations for first and second-year fellows consist of broad exposure to all aspects of open and endovascular management of both arterial and venous disease, in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center has the largest clinical vascular program in the VA healthcare system; over 900 operative vascular interventions and 1,400 interventional procedures are performed annually by vascular surgery physicians. Baylor St. Luke’s offers a high volume of clinical experience in both surgical reconstructions and endovascular interventions, in excess of 1,500 cases per year. 

Vascular Surgery fellows also learn diagnosis, evaluation and operative management of complex thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms in a high-volume clinical rotation under the direction Dr. Marc Moon, chief of of the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery.

Clinical research is encouraged during any of these rotations. Our vascular faculty and trainees participate in weekly conferences devoted to non-invasive vascular lab interpretation, didactic vascular lectures, vascular board review, morbidity and mortality conferences, and a journal club. Fellows also have the opportunity to participate in research under the direction of division faculty.