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W
WELCOME
The
UICOMP Department of Surgery
has
a long tradition of excellence in
clinical
care and teaching. The Chair
of
the Department is Norman C. Estes,
M.D.
and the Vice-Chair is James R.
DeBord,
M.D.
The
department consists
of
seventeen divisions dedicated to providing
the
highest quality healthcare and training:
Anesthesiology,
Cardiothoracic Surgery, Colorectal
Surgery,
Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, Minimal
Invasive
Surgery, Oncological Surgery, Opthalmology,
Orthopedic
Surgery, Otolaryngology, Pediatric Surgery, Plastic &
Reconstructive
Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Transplant, Trauma, Urology, Vascular
Surgery.
Our
education program includes a General Surgery Residency Program comprised of
three categorical residents per year. This
five-year program trains and prepares residents for General Practice Services
as well as Fellowships. The department also manages the Surgical Clerkship in
the training of medical students.
The History
- 35 years of service
The origins of
Peoria
as
an established academic surgery center noted for excellence actually began in
1938 when, in contrast to his fellow residents, Dr. Charles Branch left the
major teaching hospitals and came to
Peoria
to practice General Surgery. He soon distinguished himself for his knowledge,
the versatility of his practice, and for his surgical skills. Dr. Branch was a
graduate of the
University
of
Michigan College
of Medicine and trained in surgery at
Peter
Brent
Brigham
Hospital
. His fellow residents became leaders in the field of General Surgery during
and after World War II. This academic connection which Dr. Branch maintained
during his career was the springboard of surgery in
Peoria
. As a large number of physicians returned from the war and sought post
graduate training in surgery, many residents were sent to
Peoria
to train under Dr. Branch. Many of today’s faculty have roots with those original residents
and the academic communities that sent them to
Peoria
.
In 1970, in response to a severe shortage of
physicians in the state and particularly in rural areas, the
University
of
Illinois
elected to place clinical schools in
Peoria
and
Rockford
,
Illinois
, to add to those already established in
Chicago
.
Chairs of the Department of Surgery
1972-1982 William H.
Marshall, M.D., Acting Chair
1982-1986 Ralph N. Bransky,
M.D., Acting Chair
1986-1991 Alvin L. Watne,
M.D., Chair
1991-1996 Hugh V. Firor,
M.D., Chair
1996-1998 Frank S. Darras,
M.D., Acting Chair
1998- present Norman C.
Estes, M.D., Chair
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