Pre-Op Program

What is PreOp?

PreOp aims to provide structured exposure to a range of surgical specialties, and enhanced clinical experience to students earlier on in their medical education. The program offers an experience beyond strict shadowing, emphasizing as much hands-on exposure as possible, under the supervision and at the discretion of each PreOp mentor. As an adjunct to the core five surgical specialty rotations, skills workshops and lectures are held throughout the year to enhance basic technical competencies.

What is required?

  • Shadowing Rotations Every Two Months
    • From September to June, students will rotate through 5 different specialties every two months from this grouping: general surgery, vascular, transplant, plastics, breast, pediatric, burn, otolaryngology, colorectal, and interventional radiology.
    • Requirement: 1-5 afternoons of shadowing per month for 10 months
  • Skills Workshops
    • Monthly skills workshops at the Skills Acquisition & Innovation Laboratory (SAIL) include: scrubbing into the OR, knot tying, suturing, laparoscopic technique, vessel anastomosis, robotic techniques, electrosurgery and more.
  • Faculty Lectures
    • Lectures throughout the year delivered by various PreOp Mentors.

Our Mentors

Dr. Kelly (trauma)
Dr. Talmor (plastics)
Dr. Pua (IR)
Dr. Dakin (general/bariatric)
Dr. Watkins (transplant)
Dr. Steigman (pediatric)
Dr. Otterburn (plastics)
Dr. Del Pizzo (urology)
Dr. Maresh (ENT)
Dr. Connolly (vascular)
Dr. Yeo (colorectal)
Dr. Lee (urology)
Dr. Gallagher (burn)
Dr. Kutler (ENT)
Dr. Michelassi (colorectal)
Dr. Ellozy (vascular)
Dr. Knopman (neuro)
Dr. Alzaga (ophthalmology)
Dr. Shukla (colorectal)
Dr. Asfaw (urology-gynecology)
Dr. Merianos (pediatric)
Dr. Narayan (trauma)
Dr. David (urology)

Program Leadership

Faculty sponsor: Dr. Gregory Dakin, Associate Professor of Surgery

Co-Founders: Stefanie Lazow and Rachael Venn, WCMC Class of 2016

Student leadership: Brienne Lubor, Hector Mora, Matthew Magruder (WCMC class of 2021)

Related Programs & Links

Office of Admissions 445 East 69th Street
Room 104
New York, NY 10021 (646) 962-4931 wcmc-admissions@med.cornell.edu

Office of Medical Education 1300 York Avenue, Room C-118 New York, NY 10065 (212) 746-1050