Allen O. Whipple Surgical Society

The Allen O. Whipple Surgical Society introduces medical students to careers in surgery, promotes interactions of medical students with surgical residents and attending physicians in all surgical subspecialties, and offers programs that foster an interest in surgery.

Group Overview

The first purpose of the Allen O. Whipple Surgical Society is to educate students about the lifestyle and career of a surgeon. Our group does this by offering courses and lectures that teach about and inspire students to think about pursuing surgery after medical school.

The second purpose of the group is to provide medical students with opportunities to engage in the practical side of surgery. We offer shadowing opportunities that welcome students into the operating room. The Transplant Procurement Program also accomplishes this goal by allowing students to participate in organ procurement runs and subsequent transplantations.

Programs

Our programs range from a guest lecture series to opportunities for shadowing doctors to skills courses.

Whipple Guest Lecture Series

Surgeons from various fields are invited to speak to medical students about their areas of expertise, research, and reasons for pursuing their given field. These informal forums encourage students to ask questions and learn more about what it means to be a surgeon and the process of becoming one.

Transplant Procurement Program

The Transplant Procurement Program is a unique and exciting opportunity for first-year preclinical students to accompany and scrub in alongside the transplant team. Students are “on call” during an assigned period. If an organ becomes available, the transplant surgery fellow alerts the student pager coordinator, who pages the on-call student. The student travels with the transplant team, often by air, to assist in the procurement, and, if permitted, the transplantation upon return.

Renal Transplantation Shadowing Program

The Renal Transplantation Shadowing Program allows a student to follow a patient throughout the day of her renal transplantation. The student meets the transplant recipient in the morning, goes with the patient to the operating room, observes the transplantation procedure, and may visit the patient after she wakes up. This experience offers a realistic view of a day in the life of a transplant surgeon and fosters student-patient interactions. For more information about this opportunity, email Doris Leddy at dl642@cumc.columbia.edu.

Spend a Day with a Surgeon Program

Students have the opportunity to shadow a faculty member for the day in the clinic and/or operating room to gain firsthand exposure in a specific field. All of the participating surgeons have expressed interest in mentoring preclinical students, thereby maximizing the teaching experience and fostering student-faculty mentoring relationships.

Suturing and Laparoscopic Skills Courses

One of the best parts of a career in surgery is performing procedures. Our group works with surgical residents to teach students basic suturing skills and laparoscopic surgery techniques using simulators.

Contact Us

For questions or more information, contact current student leaders at whipple@columbia.edu.

For more information about the Renal Transplantation Shadowing Program and/or other shadowing opportunities, contact:

Doris Leddy
Founder of Electives for the Whipple Surgical Society
Administrative Coordinator, Department of Surgery
Email: dl642@cumc.columbia.edu
Phone: 212-305-9596
Fax: 212-305-6641