University of Colorado Colon & Rectal Surgery Fellowship

The University of Colorado's one-year Colon & Rectal Surgery Fellowship program was ACGME-approved in 2024. Our first fellow, Dr. Viviane Leite Abud, is set to complete her fellowship on July 31, 2026, and then move on to a faculty position in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho with Kootenai Health. Dr. Leite Abud had a tremendous year of operating and learning. We are proud to share that her 2025 CARSITE score placed her in the top 4 of all examinees! Her operative experience has also been remarkable. Below are her ACGME case logs for the first 11 months of fellowship:

Surgical Management	ACGME Minimum	Completed by Fellow
Abscess procedures	5	16
Condyloma / High Resolution Anoscopy procedures	5	6
Fistula procedures	20	46
- Complex repairs	10	36
Fecal Incontinence Procedures	2	15
Fissure procedures	4	11
- Internal Sphincterotomy	2	7
Hemorrhoid procedures	20	52
- Excisional hemorrhoidectomy	10	52
Pilonidal procedures	5	17
Transanal excision	5	5
Segmental colectomy (Include Ileocolic resection)	50	78
Minimally invasive resections	30	117
Low anterior resection	20	56
Abdominoperineal resection	5	27
Ileal anal pouch procedures	3	14
Prolapse procedures	6	45
- Perineal	2	10
Stoma procedures	20	125
Stoma Complications (Parastomal hernia, stenosis retraction prolapse, fistulas)	5	10
Anoscopy / proctoscopy	30	54
Colonoscopy	140	142
- Interventional	30	107
Total		1048

Disease Management	ACGME Minimum	Completed by Fellow
Anal fissure	5	16
Anal fistula	10	79
Condyloma	2	5
Hemorrhoids	5	63
Pelvic floor and functional GI Disorders	15	97
Pilonidal	2	20
Carcinoma of the colon	15	29
Carcinoma of the rectum	25	64
- Rectal cancer dissections	15	83
Genetic neoplasia - FAP, Gardner's, HNPCC	3	10
Diverticular disease	15	44
Crohn's disease	20	39
Ulcerative colitis	15	41
Ileal anal pouch management	3	10
Rectal prolapse	10	45
Total		645

Our incoming 2026-27 Colorectal Surgery Fellow is Dr. Sudheer Vemuru. Dr. Vemuru is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine and University of Colorado General Surgery Residency program. We look forward to having another year to work with Dr. Vemuru.

The CU Colorectal Surgery Program

Our mission is to provide a well-rounded colorectal surgical education and experience. 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 diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus. The fellows' clinical rotations will be completed at the University of Colorado Hospital, UCHealth Lone Tree Medical Center, and the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, where the fellow will perform endoscopy procedures only. These rotations will provide a comprehensive experience in all aspects of adult Colorectal Surgery. Conveniently, all teaching sites are located within a 20-mile radius of the Anschutz Campus.

The Colorectal Surgery fellow will actively participate in a broad range of surgical procedures including open, laparoscopic, 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, re-operative colorectal surgery, anorectal pathology, and the entire spectrum of colorectal diseases. Between 5/1/25 and 5/31/26, our surgeons performed 277 operations for pelvic floor disease including prolapse and fecal incontinence, 244 for malignant or benign neoplasms, 99 for sigmoid diverticulitis, 74 for Crohn's disease, 44 for ulcerative colitis, 37 for endometriosis (with our GYN colleagues), 15 for sacral neuromodulation and scores more operations for ileostomy or colostomy reversal, intestinal fistula, and other diseases. Our surgeons regularly perform laparoscopic, open, and robotic surgical cases. In the past 12 months, we performed 155 robotic operations of which 75 included our fellow, Dr. Leite Abud. Further, at the Anschutz Campus alone, our surgeons performed 477 cases for anorectal pathology including hemorrhoids, anal fistula, pilonidal disease, etc.

In addition to a rich and diverse operative experience, the fellow will become well-versed in Watch & Wait Management of Rectal Cancer and will actively participate in case conferences, didactic lectures, M&M conference, journal club, and the weekly colorectal and anal 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 and Dudley Family Chair in Cancer Excellence. He is the Colorectal Surgery section head and the Colorectal Surgery fellowship program director.

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.

Edward Jones MD, MS

Dr. Jones completed his fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery and Flexible Endoscopy at the Ohio State University, in Columbus, OH, in 2015. He joined the faculty at the University of Colorado and has worked full-time at Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC since fellowship. He is currently the Chief of Surgery at the VA, as well as a Professor of Surgery at the University of Colorado, where he organizes the surgery resident endoscopy curriculum and leads an annual, hands-on course, which trains residents nationwide in the basics of upper and lower endoscopy.

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. In 2024, he was awarded the faculty teaching award by the graduating class of CU General Surgery residents.

Amber Moyer, MD

Dr. Moyer is a 2023 graduate of the University of Colorado General Surgery Residency program. She completed her Colorectal Surgery fellowship at Pennsylvania State University in 2024 and then joined the CU colorectal surgery faculty. She is an Assistant Professor of Surgery and the Colon & Rectal Surgery Fellowship Associate Program Director. Dr. Moyer has a great interest in the education of our fellows, residents, and medical students.

Daniel Stoltz, MD

Dr. Stoltz is the newest addition to our faculty. He is a 2025 graduate of the Standford Healthcare General Surgery Residency program and will complete his Colorectal Surgery Fellowship at Mass General Brigham, in July 2026. His research interests are early-onset colorectal cancer, circulating tumor DNA in rectal cancer, strategies to improve barriers to colorectal cancer screening, and integration of artificial intelligence in robotic colorectal surgery. We look forward to Dr. Stoltz joining our team in September 2026.

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 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.

Information for Applicants

Colorectal residency match is administered by the NRMP with applications in ERAS. Applicants must have completed an ACGME accredited residency in general surgery and be eligible for licensing in Colorado. Applicants are required to submit their application, ABSITE scores, and letters of recommendation via ERAS.

The Association of Program Directors for Colon and Rectal Surgery (APDCRS) has introduced and is encouraging the use of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Resident Assessment Application (formerly Standard Letter of Recommendation) for applicants to our residency programs. Please visit the APDCRS Application Information website for more details.

Applications for the 2027-28 fellowship year open on July 1, 2026.

For more information, interested applicants should contact the Colorectal Surgery Fellowship Educational Coordinator, Sarah Seely, at sarah.seely@cuanschutz.edu.

Tools & Resources

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