University of Colorado Colon & Rectal Surgery Fellowship
Our one-year fellowship program was ACGME-approved in 2024. We plan to have our first fellow in 2025. Our mission is to provide a very well-rounded colorectal surgical education in all facets of our specialty. Our global objective is to prepare the graduates of our program to step into their careers prepared to meet the challenges of the profession, regardless of their ultimate career goals.
During the one-year program, the fellow will acquire in-depth knowledge and experience in the diagnosis, management, and surgical treatment of patients with conditions and diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus. The fellows’ clinical rotations will be completed at the University of Colorado Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, where the fellow will perform endoscopy procedures only. These rotations will provide a robust and sophisticated experience in all aspects of adult Colorectal Surgery. Conveniently, all teaching sites are located within a 25-mile radius of the Anschutz Medical Campus.
The Colorectal Surgery fellow will actively participate in the broad range of surgical procedures including open, laparoscopic and robotic, and trans-anal operations. We perform a high volume of common and complex surgical procedures for cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, pelvic floor disease, reoperative colorectal surgery, anorectal pathology, and the entire spectrum of colorectal diseases.
University of Colorado Colorectal Surgery Facts & Figures for the 2023-24 Academic Year:
- We performed 640 major abdominal surgical cases.
- N=196: Functional diseases (e.g. pelvic organ prolapse, constipation).
- N=135: Colorectal Cancer, polyp, or polyposis.
- N=111: Inflammatory bowel diseases
- N=107: Ostomy closure (e.g. loop ileostomy, end colostomy)
- N=57: Diverticular Disease
- N=34: Other (e.g. volvulus, stricture, etc.)
- Surgical Technique:
- Open: #404 (includes all loop ileostomy closures)
- Robotic: #123
- Laparoscopic: #113
- Notes: Our robotic case volume has increased on an annual basis.
- Colorectal Cancer, Polyp, or Polyposis operations
- Low Anterior Resection (LAR): #35
- Right colectomy: #28
- Abdominal Perineal Resection (APR): #16
- Sigmoid colectomy: #13
- Pelvic Exenteration: #12
- Total Colectomy: #9
- Hartmann procedure: #7
- Transverse Colectomy and other operations: #15
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Major Operations
- #47: ileocecal resection or right colectomy (Crohn’s Disease)
- #25: ileal pouch anal anastomosis
- #14: Total abdominal colectomy
- #5: Small bowel resection of strictureplasty (Crohn’s Disease)
- #20: Other IBD operations (e.g. ileal pouch excision. ostomy creation, etc.)
- Anorectal Cases (N=391 [in 10 months])
- Hemorrhoid excision or banding: #165
- Anal fistula operations: #126
- Anal lesion excisions: #23
- Perianal abscess: #19 (CRS handles abscess in IBD or Cancer patients only)
- Anal Fissure (Sphincterotomy or Botox): 24
- Pilonidal Operations: #19
- Trans-anal excision rectal tumor or polyp: #15
- Endoscopy procedure at Anschutz Medical Campus
- Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC): Sigmoidoscopy (N=66), colonoscopy (N=21), Proctoscopy (N=20), Anoscopy (N=12)
- Note: AMC endoscopy cases expected to exceed #250/year, in future years, as Colorectal Surgery will have endoscopy block time 2x/month.
- VA endoscopy: Colonoscopy and Sigmoidoscopy (N=150+)
- Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC): Sigmoidoscopy (N=66), colonoscopy (N=21), Proctoscopy (N=20), Anoscopy (N=12)
In addition to a rich and diverse operative experience, the fellow will actively participate in case conferences, didactic lectures, M&M conference, journal club, and the weekly colorectal cancer, IBD, and pelvic-floor diseases multidisciplinary conferences.
Finally, the Colorectal Surgery fellow will have the opportunity to lead or participate in an ongoing clinical research project if they choose to do so. The CU Colorectal Surgery faculty have ongoing clinical research projects, and a robust surgical database that will be available for the fellow who is interested in pursuing clinical research.
University of Colorado Colon & Rectal Surgery Faculty
Jon Vogel, MD
Dr. Vogel completed his Colorectal Surgery fellowship, at the Cleveland Clinic, in 2005. After fellowship, he joined the Colorectal Surgery faculty at the Cleveland Clinic. He was the Cleveland Clinic Colon & Rectal Surgery fellowship program director, from 2008-13. He moved to the University of Colorado, in 2013, where he is now a Professor of Surgery, the Colorectal Surgery section head, and the Colorectal Surgery fellowship program director.
.jpg?sfvrsn=797dfbbb_1 "Elisa Birnbaum, MD")
Elisa Birnbaum, MD
Dr. Birnbaum completed her Colorectal Surgery fellowship at Washington University, in St. Louis, in 1991, and then joined the faculty at Washington University, where she served as the Colon & Rectal Surgery fellowship program director, from 1999-2007. She moved to the University of Colorado in 2017 where she is currently a Professor of Surgery and the Colorectal Surgery lead of our pelvic floor diseases multidisciplinary clinic.
.jpg?sfvrsn=b7efbbb_1 "Shane McNevin, MD")
Shane McNevin, MD
Dr. McNevin completed his Colorectal Surgery fellowship at the University of Minnesota, in 2002. He then practiced in the private setting for many years before joining the University of Colorado Colorectal Surgery Section, in 2023. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Colorado and also the current president of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery.
.jpg?sfvrsn=dc7ffbbb_1 "Amber Moyer, MD")
Amber Moyer, MD
Dr. Moyer is a 2023 graduate of the University of Colorado General Surgery Residency and will complete her Colorectal Surgery fellowship at Pennsylvania State University in 2024. Upon completion of her fellowship, Dr. Moyer will join the University of Colorado Colorectal Surgery faculty. Dr. Moyer has a great interest in the education of our fellows, residents, and medical students.
The Colorado Experience
It probably goes without saying, but living in Colorado is truly amazing! The weather is generally good, with lots of sunshine, and never too cold for too long. The Denver metro area hosts many professional and collegiate sporting events, concerts, great food, and a laid-back vibe that helps mitigate the pressures of work. The mountains are close and offer tremendous opportunities for relaxation, fun, and adventure, in every season.
Denver International Airport is about 15 miles from the Anschutz Medical Campus and usually has many options for you to get where you want to go, whether it’s back home, a conference, or vacation.
You may have noticed that each of the faculty moved here from somewhere else. We made these moves because Colorado is a great place to live and the University of Colorado is a great place to work. Come and check us out. We think that you will be very happy here.
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Information for Applicants
Applicants must have completed an ACGME accredited residency in general surgery and be eligible for licensing in Colorado. For the academic year beginning in summer of 2025, candidates may submit an application through ERAS when applications open.
For more information, interested applicants should contact the Colorectal Surgery Fellowship Educational Coordinator, Bayli Hendrix, at bayli.hendrix@cuanschutz.edu