The mission of the Southwestern Medical School is to provide a scholarly environment based on research, education, and patient care. The role of the Department of Surgery is to be a mature and responsible component of the School and a partner with its primary teaching hospitals in accomplishing this overall mission.

In this role, the specific mission is to address a constellation of medical problems which frequently require operative management for emergency and non-emergency treatment and to:

• disseminate information,
• deliver medical care to patients, and
• develop new knowledge regarding these "surgical diseases".

The department (and the medical school) were created for the express purpose of educating "students" at many levels in all of the three areas listed above. Success requires intertwining education, research, and delivery of care with a careful balance among the three.

The goals of UT Southwestern's Department of Surgery are:

• To profile high-quality patient care and to be recognized as the regional and community leader in developing and applying new and effective therapy for surgical problems.
• To have nationally recognized programs of scholarship and investigation in all of our divisions.
• To promote the academic and personal development of the faculty.
• To have an organization/administrative structure which facilitates developments in patient care, research, and education.
• To be fiscally responsible in the overall framework of the medical school.