Lawrence W. Way, M.D.

Biography

Dr. Lawrence W. Way is one of the prime surgeons that has propelled UCSF to its status as a world-class institution. He has served in a diversity of leadership roles within the UCSF Department of Surgery and the medical community as Chief of the Blue Surgery Service, Director of the Videoscopic Training Programs, and Professor of Surgery to name a few. Dr. Way has also been highly active on a national and international level in surgical organizations such as the American College of Surgeons and the International Society of Surgery.    

Dr. Way's unremitting focus on how to best train surgeons is what makes his mentorship elite. While he has done remarkable research and is technically unsurpassed in his chosen area, the development of the surgical house staff has been his top priority. A stern taskmaster on rounds and in the operating room, he sets standards that several generations of UCSF trained surgeons use as a benchmark for performance. Dr. Way is the last court for difficult laparoscopic cases, and his clinics are models on how to be honest yet understanding to patients. Dr. Way constantly looks for avenues to better his students. In this arena, his interests range from the effects of fatigue and safety in the OR to teaching laparoscopic skills in the LARC animal lab.

Dr. Way's focus in optimizing the instruction of surgeons has not been limited to the house staff. He has been a pioneer in training mid-career surgeons in laparoscopic techniques. He has developed a series of hands-on advanced videoscopic training courses with superbly organized lectures and labs that have become justifiably famous, and a credit to UCSF both nationally and internationally. Several of his past fellows continue to proctor in these laparoscopic courses, and never cease to be amazed by how Dr. Way strives to master new technologies while continuing to improve his skills. Dr. Way is a proud UCSF historian who has been part of the university through its ascent from a good regional medical school to a world-class institution.