Established in the Fall of 2008, the Department of Surgery is dedicated to excellence in improving the health of those we serve by providing an outstanding environment for undergraduate medical education, exceptional residency training program in Surgery, and a venue for innovative continuing medical education.
Divisions
The Cutting Edge
Surgery Newsletter
Vision & Goals
The Department of Surgery strives to be one of the most outstanding academic departments of Surgery in the region and a center of excellence in innovative surgery, research, and surgical education.
Goal 1: Train our medical students with the highest level of professionalism in patient care
Goal 2: Familiarize them with the specialty, giving them a competent basic education in Surgery, while encouraging research at every level
Goal 3: Create and maintain a curriculum that will expose our residents and students to all surgical subspecialties through our academic affiliated institutions
Goal 4: Recruit the best faculty and supporting them in their pursuit of excellence in patient care, research, medical education, and technology
Research
The Department of Surgery is committed to patient care and innovative research. We have physicians and scientists who have made significant contributions to the understanding, and advancement of science, craft, and art of surgery. Current research in the department focuses on translational research. Translational research is defined as research that is taken from the labs and brought directly into use with the patients. It is the melding of research with patient care. We are building an infrastructure that would connect basic science work to clinical investigations. This task involves the mobilization of interdisciplinary resources and collaboration of physicians and investigators at different clinical practice locations. Since the inception of our department in 2008, we have established a strong collaboration with the Biomedical Engineering department at the FIU School of Engineering. This collaboration has already produced a number of investigational new drugs and techniques in the field of molecular imaging and therapy. Today, close collaboration between our physicians and scientists enables us to provide patients with the best care available while working to discover more-effective techniques and strategies to manage surgical problems.
Clinical
The Department of Surgery maintains and nurtures an environment conducive to faculty development, the advancement of research, and clinical and scholarly activities. Faculty members are recognized for their contributions to numerous articles published in peer-reviewed journals and their leadership roles in local, national, and international societies and organizations. Recent articles put out by the faculty focus on current treatments and relevant patient cases, including published works on the history of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, a tribute to Dr. Edward E. Mason, Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy in Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery, and a low-interaction automatic 3D liver segmentation method using computed tomography for selective internal radiation therapy.
Education and Training
Surgery Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds is a monthly activity hosted by the Faculty of the Department of Surgery, the format is a closed case presentation by one of the faculty members in their specific area of expertise, since the audience mainly involves 3rd year medical students it is encouraged to make the case presentation appropriate for the student level. This activity encourages active participation from the students reinforcing basic science knowledge such as anatomy physiology and embryology as well as focusing on clinical and diagnostic skills. Students are guided through the case by the attending faculty in a dynamic fashion that encourages participation.
Surgical Simulation Laboratory
Understanding that the future of surgical education and training revolves around simulation, FIU is committed to provide the latest advances in the areas of surgical simulation. The 3rd year actively incorporates workshops in the simulation lab at FIU in which the students learn how to perform basic surgical skills such as suturing, airway management, OR etiquette, and basic laparoscopic skills. FIU is committed to continue the enhancement of its facility to incorporate advanced surgical simulation in a state of the art center located on campus.
Medical Student Curriculum
Students will gain experience in the recognition and management of surgical disease and in basic surgical techniques. Students will develop understanding of the scientific basis of surgical diseases and disorders. Students will then learn to perform assessments and develop differential diagnoses for these surgical presentations. Students will learn through participating in pre-operative care, operative procedures, outpatient surgery clinics and didactic experiences on management of surgical diseases. Students will also learn how to evaluate normal and complicated post-operative recovery with surgical inpatients and outpatients. Upon completion of the curriculum, students will also fully understand norms of professional behavior by working effectively with patients and families as a member of the health care team.
The general surgical education objectives are:
Goal 1: Patient care
Students must demonstrate willingness and ability to provide health care to patients that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for treating health problems and promoting health.
- Interpret information obtained during the clinical examination and evaluate diagnostic studies to develop an accurate diagnosis in surgical patients.
- Demonstrate the ability to develop and implement a management plan to care for surgical patients with the guidance of faculty.
- Demonstrate competence in the preoperative preparation of patients for surgery and routine post-operative care, with the guidance of faculty.
Goal 2: Medical knowledge
Students must demonstrate the application of knowledge about established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, and social-behavioral sciences to the delivery of quality and safe patient care.
- Students must demonstrate knowledge of evolving surgical science and apply this knowledge to patient care.
- Students must bring an understanding of basic surgical principles (fund of knowledge).
- Students must demonstrate knowledge of the risks and benefits of various surgical procedures.
Goal 3: Practice-based learning and improvement
Students must be able to investigate and evaluate patient care practices, appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and continually improve their practice of medicine.
- Students must actively seek feedback regarding own performance from faculty.
- Student must exhibit use of relevant surgical information resources in pursuing learning goals.
Goal 4: Interpersonal communication skills
Students must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, patients' families, and professional associates.
- Students will understand the importance of developing clear and concise communication skills.
- Students will understand the core elements of communications with surgical patients.
- Students will understand the core elements of oral and written communications with surgical colleagues, and the importance of tailoring communications to the listener and environment.
Goal 5: Professionalism
Students must demonstrate a commitment to developing a scientific mind, real world comprehensive knowledge, skills and knowledge for optimal patient care and professional behavior
- Students must demonstrate commitment to professional responsibilities, ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population.
- Students must demonstrate consideration for surgical patients’ comfort and concern for feelings and privacy during interviews and examination.
- Students must demonstrate emotional maturity and appropriately resolve tensions and conflicts.
- Students must recognize and describe own role and the roles of other members of the surgical team.
Goal 6: Systems-based practice
Students must demonstrate an awareness and responsiveness to the larger context and systems of health care and the ability to call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value.
- Students must demonstrate an awareness of the various systematic approaches to reduce medical errors and how to implement system solutions.
- Students must effectively access and utilize outside surgical resources.
Goal 7: Social Responsibility
Students must recognize and adapt best practices to accommodate the specific health care needs of their patients, families, and community.
- Students must recognize how the health care organization affects the care of surgical patients.
- When appropriate, students must coordinate quality health care including discharge planning, social services, rehabilitation, and long term care.
- Students must recognize and discuss all issues related to informed consent.
Contact
Florida International University
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Department of Surgery
11200 SW 8th Street, AHC 4-250W3
Miami, FL 33199
Tel: 305-348-0570
Fax: 305-348-0123
Faculty & Staff
Zinner, Michael J., MD
Chair and Professor, Department of SurgeryYoung, Geoffrey D.
Vice Chair; and Assistant Professor, Department of SurgeryCohen, Stephen M., MD, PA-C
Associate ProfessorGarcia Covarrubias, Lisardo, MD
Associate ProfessorGiron, Gladys Linda, MD, FACS
Assistant ProfessorGomez, Mario F., DO, MS
Temp Asst. Prof.Gonzalez, Anthony M., MD, FACS, FASMBS
Program Director in the Department of Surgery; and Assistant ProfessorGulec, Seza Ali, MD
Chief of Surgical Scholarly Activities; Assistant Clerkship Director for [...]Jacobs, Moises, MD, FACS
Associate ProfessorLombillo, Juan Manuel, MD
Assistant ProfessorLozada Jr, Jose S., MD, MS
Temp Asst. Prof.Mangione,Todd Paul, DO
Temp Asst. Prof.O'Leary, James Patrick, MD
Professor EmeritusPerez Jr, Ramiro, MD
Temp Asst. Prof.Perlyn, Chad Adam, MD
Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery; Associate Professor, [...]Puente, Ivan, MD
Assistant ProfessorRabaza, Jorge, MD, FACS
Assistant ProfessorRiccardi, Jennifer L.
Senior Program CoordinatorSchild, Frederick Arnold, MD
ProfessorTershakovec, George Roman, MD
Assistant ProfessorTranakas, Nicholas, MD
Assistant ProfessorUrbandt, Jorge Eduardo, MD
Assistant ProfessorVerdeja, Juan Carlos, MD
Director of Laparoscopy and Minimally Invasive Surgery; and Associate ProfessorGomez, Jessica N.
Senior Administrative Assistant
Community-Based Faculty
Rafael Alcalde
Associate Professor
Ahkeel Allen, MD
Assistant Professor
Fuad Alkhouy, MD
Associate Professor
Ibrahim Amjad
Assistant Professor
Werner Andrade, MD
Assistant Professor
Juan Dario Arenas, MD
Professor
Juan Pablo Arnoletti, MD
Professor
Agustin J. Arrieta, MD
Assistant Professor
Robert Bailey
Professor
Philip Bao, MD
Assistant Professor
Anthony J Bared, MD
Assistant Professor
Louis H. Barr, MD
Assistant Professor
Eduardo G. Barroso, MD
Assistant Professor
Carlos Jose Bello, MD
Assistant Professor
Kfir Ben-David, MD
Professor
Aaron Berger, MD
Assistant Professor
Eileen Bernal, DO
Assistant Professor
John Denis Berne, MD
Associate Professor
Steven Bibevski, MD
Assistant Professor
Gary Birken, MD
Assistant Professor
Mark Block, MD
Associate Professor
Kalman D. Blumberg
Assistant Professor
Marco Bologna, MD
Assistant Professor
Dessislava Boneva, MD
Assistant Professor
Robert Bowles-Cintron, MD
Assistant Professor
Mark Broudo, MD
Assistant Professor
William J. Brown, MD
Assistant Professor
Redman Paul Burke, MD
Professor
James Burks, Jr.
Assistant Professor
Cathy Anne Burnweit, MD
Professor
Andres Bustillo Lopez, MD
Assistant Professor
Nicole Cabbad, MD
Assistant Professor
Richard Callari, MD
Assistant Professor
Juan Calisto, MD
Assistant Professor
Diego Rafael Camacho
Adjunct Associate Professor
Jaime Carbonell
Assistant Professor
Jorge A. Caridad Barros, MD
Assistant Professor
Eddy Herbert Carrillo, MD
Professor
Ricardo Castrellon, MD
Assistant Professor
Frank Catinella, MD
Assistant Professor
Frank P. Catinella
Assistant Professor
Joseph Derek Catino, MD
Assistant Professor
Mark Ian Cockburn, MD
Assistant Professor
Abilio A. Coello, MD
Assistant Professor
Angelo R. Consiglio, MD
Assistant Professor
Dafney Davare, MD
Assistant Professor
Jennifer D. Davies
Assistant Professor
Alberto De Dios Fernandez, MD
Assistant Professor
Vincent DeGennaro, MD
Assistant Professor
Gwendolyn DeLeon, MD
Assistant Professor
John DeRosimo, MD
Assistant Professor
Charan Donkor, MD
Assistant Professor
Brian Dougherty, MD
Assistant Professor
Stephen J. Dresnick
Associate Professor
Mark R. Dylewski, MD
Assistant Professor
Jeffrey Epstein, MD
Assistant Professor
Steven Eubanks
Professor
Gavin Alexander Falk, MD
Assistant Professor
Jeremy Farkas
Assistant Professor
Kenneth Hays Farrell, MD
Assistant Professor
Diana Lee Farmer, MD
Professor
John Welton Fitzwater
Instructor
Steven Fletcher, MD
Assistant Professor
Jaime Flores
Assistant Professor
Candace Fox, MD
Assistant Professor
Paul K. Foster, MD
Assistant Professor
Sandra Franco, MD
Instructor
Juan Arturo Fridman, MD
Assistant Professor
David W. Friedman
Assistant Professor
Maurice Gabay
Assistant Professor
Alberto S. Gallerani
Assistant Professor
Manoel Galvao Neto, MD
Associate Professor
Franklin Garcia-Godoy
Adjunct Professor
Jose Garri, MD
Assistant Professor
Amir Ghaznavi, MD
Assistant Professor
Jadelis Giquel, MD
Assistant Professor
Alexandra Glickman
Instructor
Eddie Gomez, MD
Assistant Professor
Pedro Jose Gonzalez, MD
Assistant Professor
Matthew Goodwin
Assistant Professor
Rafael D. Gottenger
Assistant Professor
Orlando Gracia, MD
Assistant Professor
Lawrence R. Grobman, MD
Associate Professor
David Grossman, MD
Assistant Professor
John Grossman, MD
Associate Professor
Kristine Guleserian, MD
Professor
Fahim Habib
Associate Professor
Shaikh Hai, MD
Assistant Professor
Lynn Happel
Assistant Professor
Lynn Harrison
Professor
Michael David Hellinger
Associate Professor
Steven Henriques, MD
Assistant Professor
Brad P. Herman, MD
Assistant Professor
Kenneth Herskowitz, MD
Assistant Professor
Tjasa Hranjec, MD
Assistant Professor
George Ibars
Assistant Professor
Cham Jayanetti
Assistant Professor
Ramon Jimenez, MD
Associate Professor
Irving A. Jorge
Assistant Professor
Gerardo Kahane, MD
Assistant Professor
Steven Kaltman
Adjunct Professor
Steven Kang, MD
Associate Professor
Howard Katzman
Assistant Professor
Michael Edward Kelly, MD
Assistant Professor
Roger Khalil Khouri
Associate Professor
Chauniqua D. Kiffin, MD
Instructor
Colin Geoffrey Knight, MD
Assistant Professor
Eduardo Krajewski, MD
Assistant Professor
Frank Kronberg, MD
Assistant Professor
Jose R. Lamas, MD
Assistant Professor
Joseph Lamelas
Assistant Professor
Joshua A. Lampert, MD
Assistant Professor
Angelo LaPietra
Assistant Professor
Seong Keun Lee, MD
Assistant Professor
Adrian Legaspi (Sauter)
Associate Professor
Tamar Levene, MD
Assistant Professor
Joel M. Levin
Assistant Professor
Emanuele Lo Menzo
Associate Professor
Frank J. Lomagistro
Assistant Professor
Julie Long
Assistant Professor
Eustorgio A. Lopez
Assistant Professor
Jorge Lopez-Canino, MD
Assistant Professor
Cristina Lopez-Penalver, MD
Assistant Professor
Henry J. Lujan
Assistant Professor
Joel Madhukar
Assistant Professor
Leopoldo Malvezzi, MD
Assistant Professor
Michele A. Markley
Assistant Professor
Stanley W. Marks
Associate Professor
Eduardo Milton Martinez
Assistant Professor
Ricardo Martinez-Ruiz, MD
Assistant Professor
Nidal Masri, MD
Assistant Professor
Christina Matadial, MD
Associate Professor
Starr Mautner, MD
Assistant Professor
Maurice Mawad, MD
Assistant Professor
Kendrick McArthur, DO
Assistant Professor
Shawn McClure, MD
Adjunct Associate Professor
Mark McKenney, MD
Professor
Raul Mederos Jr., MD
Assistant Professor
Miguel Medina III, MD
Assistant Professor
Scott Melvin
Adjunct Professor
Jane Mendez, MD
Professor
Thomas Mesko, MD
Associate Professor
Carolyn Beth Messere
Assistant Professor
Jose Ignacio Montero
Instructor
Juan Pablo Montoya, MD
Assistant Professor
Ronald Moore, MD
Assistant Professor
Fermin Esteban Morales, MD
Instructor
Orlando Morejon, MD
Assistant Professor
Niberto Moreno, MD
Assistant Professor
Rakesh Ravikumaran Nair
Instructor
Don Nakayama, MD
Professor
Sumana Narayanan, MD
Assistant Professor
Nirmal Nathan, MD
Assistant Professor
Martin I. Newman
Associate Professor
Juan Nogueras
Professor
James Patrick O'Leary,
Professor Emeritus
Julie Oppenheimer, MD
Assistant Professor
Michael Owens, MD
Assistant Professor
Juan Paramo, MD
Associate Professor
Anish Y. Parekh, MD
Assistant Professor
Michael Parra, MD
Assistant Professor
Raquel Pasaron, PhD
Instructor
Fred Pedroletti
Assistant Professor
Francisco G. Pernas, MD
Assistant Professor
Juan Carlos Pereda
Assistant Professor
Jose Perez Gurri, MD
Assistant Professor
Rodolfo Pigalarga, MD
Assistant Professor
Danielle Pigneri, MD
Assistant Professor
Gustavo Plasencia, MD
Professor
Juan Plate
Assistant Professor
Max Polo, MD
Assistant Professor
Jason Portnof, MD
Adjunct Associate Professor
Sean Michael Quinn, MD
Assistant Professor
Marcela Ramirez, MD
Assistant Professor
Carmen T. Ramos-Irizarry
Assistant Professor
Alberto Rancati
Assistant Professor
Ronald Reis
Assistant Professor
Ian M. Reiss
Assistant Professor
Ronald Emilio Reyna, MD
Assistant Professor
Kiley Reynolds
Assistant Professor
Ruben J. Ricardo
Assistant Professor
Eugene Albert Rivera, MD
Assistant Professor
Jose Rodriguez-Feliz, MD
Assistant Professor
Roderick Romero, MD
Assistant Professor
Jorge Rosello, PhD
Assistant Professor
Lester Rosen
Professor
Gary Rosenbaum, MD
Assistant Professor
Raul J. Rosenthal
Professor
Andrew Rosenthal, MD
Associate Professor
Adam Rubinstein, MD
Assistant Professor
Saoussen Salhi, MD
Assistant Professor
Jesse Salmeron, MD
Assistant Professor
Michael Salzhauer
Assistant Professor
Michel C. Samson
Associate Professor
Rafael E. Sanchez, MD
Assistant Professor
Dana R. Sands
Associate Professor
Frank Gerald Scholl
Associate Professor
Rupa Seetharamaiah, MD
Assistant Professor
Romualdo Segurola
Assistant Professor
Harry Sendzischew
Assistant Professor
Luis Serentill
Assistant Professor
Shahabb Shaffiey, MD
Assistant Professor
Alric Simmonds, MD
Assistant Professor
Seth Spector, MD
Professor
Allan Stewart, MD
Associate Professor
Marcos Szomstein
Assistant Professor
Samuel Szomstein
Associate Professor
Francisco A. Tarrazzi, MD
Assistant Professor
Michele Taubman, MD
Assistant Professor
Julio Torres, MD
Assistant Professor
Athanassios Tsoukas
Assistant Professor
Robert Udelsman, MD
Professor
Joshua Unger, MD
Assistant Professor
Eloy Villasuso, MD
Assistant Professor
Stephen Wise Unger
Associate Professor
Manuel Viamonte III, MD
Assistant Professor
Richard J. Vivero, MD
Associate Professor
Libby Watch
Assistant Professor
Daniel Neal Weingrad
Associate Professor
Eric Weiss, MD
Professor
Steven Wexner
Professor
John Whitehead, DO
Assistant Professor
Jill Whitehouse, MD
Assistant Professor
Henry Wodnicki, MD
Assistant Professor
Carlos Wolf, MD
Assistant ProfessorAnthony Wolfe, MD
Professor
Xiaoti Xu, MD
Assistant Professor
Jack Yaffa, MD
Associate Professor
Geoffrey Young, MD
Assistant Professor
Alexander Zuriarrain, MD
Assistant Professor