Ross E Willis, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Surgery and Department of Medical Education

Director of Surgical Education

and Director of UT Health Johnson Center for Surgical Education

Dr. Willis's research interests include surgical education, team performance, and training, individual differences in the acquisition of surgical skills and adaptive instructional techniques.

Techniques: Surgical simulation

Professional Background
Education
- 1999 - PhD - Experimental Psychology - Cognition - Texas Tech University
- 1995 - MA - Experimental Psychology - Human Factors - Texas Tech University
- 1992 - BA - Psychology - University of Texas at San Antonio
Appointments
- 10/2013 - Associate Professor/Research and Director of Surgical Education, Director of the Johnson Center for Surgical Innovation - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Surgery, San Antonio
- 11/2007 - Assistant Professor/Research and Graduate Faculty - University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan Antonio
Publications

Willis RE, Patnaik R, Khan MT, Juhas C, Shah A. The “intern” label: Introducing unnecessary confusion and bias? Journal of Surgical Education. 2023; May 19.

Patnaik R, Khan MTA, Willis RE, Yamaguchi S, Scott DJ, Oh T, Fritze DM. The San Antonio kidney transplant model: Validity evidence and proficiency benchmarks. Global Surgical Education. 2022;1:39.

Patnaik R, Seale SA, Kempenich JW, Dent DL, Willis RE. The impact of an autonomy supportive versus a controlling coaching environment on surgical skill acquisition for novice trainees. Global Surgical Education. 2022;1:35.

Willis RE, Erwin DZ. Factors influencing American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination score: Resident perception vs reality. Global Surgical Education. 2022; 1:25.

Cavanaugh KJ, Costa P, Willis RE, Dunkin BJ, Gardner AK. Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Differences in residency program preferences among those underrepresented in medicine. Journal of Surgical Education. 2021; S1931-7204(21)00262-2.

Beale KG, Kempenich JW, Willis RE, Al Fayyadh MJ, Reed CC, Paccione C, Ebeling PA, Dao HE, Dent DL. Surgical inpatient’s attitudes towards resident participation: All about expectations. Journal of Surgical Education. 2020;77(6):e28-e33.

Ebeling P, Beale KG, Van Sickle KR, Al Fayyadh MJ, Willis RE, Marcano J, Erwin DZ, Kempenich JW. Resident Training Experience with Robotic Assisted Transabdominal Preperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair. American Journal of Surgery. 2020;219(2):278-282.

Gardner AK, Cavanaugh KJ, Willis RE, Dent DL, Reinhart H, Williams VM, Truitt M, Scott B, Dunkin BJ. Great expectations? Future competency requirements among candidates entering surgery training. Journal of Surgical Education. 2020;77(2):267-272.

Gardner AK, Cavanaugh KJ, Willis RE, Dunkin BJ. Can better selection tools help us achieve our diversity goals in postgraduate medical education? Academic Medicine. 2020;95(5):751-757.

Willis RE, Erwin DZ, Adelaja F. Struggling prior to a teaching event results in superior short-term skills acquisition in novice learners. Journal of Surgical Education. 2020;77(1):34-39.

Gardner AK, Cavanaugh K, Dunkin BJ, Willis RE. If you build it, will they come? Candidate completion of pre-interview screening assessments. Journal of Surgical Education. 2019;76(6):1534-1538.

Willis RE. An online system to help with mock oral examination administration. Journal of Surgical Education. 2019;76(5):1167-1173.

Kempenich JW, Willis RE, Al Fayyadh MJ, Dao Campi H, Cardenas T, Hopper WA, Giovannetti CA, Reed CC, Dent DL. Video-Based Patient Education Improves Patient Attitudes toward Resident Participation in Outpatient Surgical Care. Journal of Surgical Education. 2018;75(6):e61-e67.

Kempenich JW, Willis RE, Dao Campi H, Schenarts PJ. The cost of compliance: The financial burden of fulfilling Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and American Board of Surgery Requirements. Journal of Surgical Education. 2018;75(6):e47-e53.

Dent DL, Willis RE, Al Fayaddh MJ. We are the gatekeepers – Or “Your residency is only as good as your worst graduate”. Journal of Surgical Education. 2018;75(6):e1-e10.

Guzzetta AA, Weis JJ, Hennessy SA, Willis RE, Wilcox V, Dunkin BJ, Hogg DC, Scott DJ. Proficiency-based preparation significantly improves FES certification performance. Surgical Endoscopy. 2018;32(11):4451-4457.

Dent DL, Al Fayyadh MJ, Rawlings JA, Hassan RA, Kempenich JW, Willis RE, Stewart RM. Failure on the American Board of Surgery examinations of general surgery residency graduates correlates positively with states’ malpractice risk. American Journal of Surgery. 2018;84(3):398-402.

Al Fayyadh MJ, Hassan RA, Tran ZK, Kempenich JW, Bunegin L, Dent DL, Willis RE. Immediate auditory feedback is superior to other types of feedback for basic surgical skills acquisition. Journal of Surgical Education. 2017;74(6):e55-e61.

Yamamoto R, Clanton D, Willis RE, Jonas RB, Cestero RF. Rapid decay of transthoracic echocardiography skills at 1 month: A prospective observational study. Journal of Surgical Education. 2017;75(2):503-509.

Willis RE, Wiersch J, Adams AJ, Al Fayyadh MJ, Weber RA, Wang HT. Development and evaluation of a simulation model for microvascular anastomosis training. Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery 2017:33(7): 493-501.

Gardner AK, Scott DJ, Willis RE, Van Sickle K, Truitt MS, Uecker J, Brown KM, Marks JM, Dunkin BJ. Is current surgery resident and GI fellow training adequate to pass FES? Surgical Endoscopy 2017;31(1):352-358.

Vyasa P, Willis RE, Dunkin BJ, Gardner AK. Are general surgery residents accurate assessors of their own flexible endoscopy skills? Journal of Surgical Education 2017;74(1):23-29.

Al Fayyadh MJ, Rawlings JA, Willis RE, Falcone JL, Stewart RM, Dent DL. The American Board of Surgery Examinations: How are the Southwestern Surgical Congress programs performing compared to the rest of the United States? American Journal of Surgery 2016;212(6):1243-1247.

Kempenich JW, Willis RE, Blue RJ, Al Fayyadh MJ, Cromer RM, Schenarts PJ, Van Sickle KR, Dent DL. The effect of patient education on the perceptions of resident participation in surgical care. Journal of Surgical Education 2016;73(6):111-117.

Al Fayyadh MJ, Heller SF, Rajab TK, Gardner AK, Bloom JP, Rawlings JA, Mullen JT, Smink DS, Farley DR, Willis RE, Dent DL. Predicting success of preliminary surgical residents: A multi-institutional study. Journal of Surgical Education 2016;73(6):77-83.

Raley J, Meenakshi R, Dent D, Willis R, Lawson K, Duzinski S. The role of communication during trauma activations: Investigating the need for team and leader communication training. Journal of Surgical Education 2016;74(1):173-179.

Willis RE, Dent DL, Love JD, Kempenich JW, Uecker J, Brown KM, Thomas JS, Gomez PP, Adams AJ, Admire JR, Sprunt JM, Kahrig KM, Wiggins-Dohlvik K. Predicting and enhancing American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination performance: Does writing questions really help? American Journal of Surgery 2016;211(2):361-368.

Gardner AK, Willis RE, Dunkin BJ, Van Sickle KR, Brown KM, Truitt MS, Uecker JM, Gentry L, Scott DJ. What do residents need to be competent laparoscopic and endoscopic surgeons? Surgical Endoscopy 2016;30(7):3050-3059.

Sirinek KR, Willis R, Schwesinger W. Who will be able to perform open biliary surgery in 2025? Journal of the American College of Surgeons 2016;223(1):110-115.

Gardner AK, AbdelFattah K, Wiersch J, Ahmed RA, Willis RE. Embracing errors in simulation-based training: The impact of error training on retention and transfer of central venous catheter (CVC) skills. Journal of Surgical Education 2015;72(6):158-162.

Kempenich JW, Willis RE, Rakosi R, Wiersch J, Schenarts PJ. How do perceptions of autonomy differ in general surgery training between faculty, senior residents, hospital administrators, hospital administrators, and the general public? A multi-institutional study. Journal of Surgical Education 2015;72(6):193-201.

Willis RE, Van Sickle KR. Current status of simulation-based training in graduate medical education. Surgical Clinics of North America 2015;95(7):767-779.

Adams AJ, Wasson EA, Admire JR, Gomez PP, Babayeuski RA, Sako EY, Willis RE. A Comparison of Teaching Modalities and Fidelity of Simulation Levels in Teaching Resuscitation Scenarios. Journal of Surgical Education 2015;72:778-785.

Admire JR, Pounds LL, Adams AJ, Gomez PP, Willis RE. Development and construct validity of a low fidelity training platform for driving large and small suture needles. Journal of Surgical Education 2015;72:387-393.

Gomez PP, Willis RE, Van Sickle KR. Development of a virtual reality robotic surgical curriculum using the Da Vinci SI surgical system. Surgical Endoscopy 2015;29(8):2171-2179.

Gomez PP, Admire JR, Adams AA, Van Sickle KR, Dent DL, Willis RE. Evaluation of a Dedicated Skills Development Rotation for PGY1 General Surgery Residents. Journal of the American College of Surgeons Sept 2014;219(3)S116-S117.

Sirinek KR, Willis R, Stewart RM. Geographic maldistribution of general surgery PGY1 residents: Another US surgical desert. American Journal of Surgery 2014;208(6):1023-1028.

Gomez PP, Willis RE, Van Sickle KR. Evaluation of two flexible endoscopy simulators and transfer of skills into clinical practice. Journal of Surgical Education 2014;72:220-227.

Gomez PP, Willis RE, Schiffer BL, Gardner AK, Scott DJ. External validation and evaluation of an intermediate proficiency-based knot-tying and suturing curriculum. Journal of Surgical Education 2014;71:839-845.

Willis RE, Gomez PP, Ivatury SJ, Mitra HS, Van Sickle KR. Virtual reality simulators: Valuable surgical skills trainers or video games? Journal of Surgical Education 2014;71(3):426-433.

Gomez PP, Willis RE, Jaramillo LA. Evaluation of a dedicated, surgery-oriented visiting international medical student program. Journal of Surgical Education 2014 May;71(3): 325-328.

Willis RE, Curry E, Gomez PP. Practice Schedules for Surgical Skills: The Role of Task Characteristics and Proactive Interference on Psychomotor Skills Acquisition. Journal of Surgical Education 2013;70(6):789-795.

Willis RE, Peterson, RM, Dent DL. Usefulness of the American College of Surgeons’ Fundamentals of Surgery Curriculum as a Knowledge Preparatory Tool for Incoming Surgery Interns. American Journal of Surgery 2013;205(2):131-136.

Willis RE, Van Sickle KR, Peterson RM. Impact of non-clinical years on surgery residents’ technical skills: Evaluation of a technical skills refresher curriculum. Surgical Science 2013;4(2):1-5.

Hafford ML, Van Sickle KR, Willis P, Wilson TD, Gugliuzza K, Brown KM, Scott DJ. Ensuring competency: Are Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery training and certification necessary for practicing surgeons and operating room personnel? Surgical Endoscopy 2013;27(1):118-126.

Willis RE, Richa J, Oppeltz R, Nguyen P, Wagner K, Van Sickle KR, Dent DL. Comparing three pedagogical approaches to psychomotor skills acquisition. American Journal of Surgery 2012;203(1):8-13.

Van Sickle KR, Buck L, Willis R, Mangram A, Truitt MS, Shabahang M, Thomas S, Trombetta L, Dunkin B, Scott D, Willis RE. A multicenter, simulation-based skills training collaborative using shared GI Mentor II systems: results from the Texas Association of Surgical Skills Laboratories (TASSL) flexible endoscopy curriculum. Surgical Endoscopy 2011;25(9):2980-2986.

Corneille M, Willis RE, Stewart RM, Dent DL. Performance on Brief Practice Exam Identifies Residents at Risk for Poor ABSITE and ABS Qualifying Exam Performance. Journal of Surgical Education 2011;68:246-249.

Willis RE, Coverdill JE, Mellinger JD, Collins JC, Potts JR, Dent DL. Views of surgery program directors on the current ACGME and proposed IOM duty-hour standards. Journal of Surgical Education 2009;66(4):216-221.

Wiggins-Dohlvik K, Stewart RM, Babbitt RJ, Gelfond J, Zarzabal LA, Willis RE. Surgeons’ Performance during Critical Situations: Competence, Confidence, and Composure. American Journal of Surgery 2009;198(6):817-823.

Ross E Willis, Ph.D.

Education

Appointments