Steven D. Mills, MD

Dr. Steven D. Mills is an Associate Clinical Professor and Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery and Colorectal Surgery Residency Director at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, and was recently appointed as the Director of the General Surgery Medical Student Clerkship. He also serves as a staff colorectal surgeon at the Long Beach VA Medical Center. Born in Ridgecrest, California, Steven did his undergraduate training at the University of California, San Diego, but then traveled to New York to attend medical school at the New York Medical College in Valhalla. He did his general surgery residency at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland; he completed his colorectal surgery training at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.

Following his colorectal surgery training, Dr. Mills joined the staff at the University of California, Irvine, where he has developed a busy clinical colorectal practice that focuses on improving outcomes with minimally invasive techniques. He has also worked tirelessly to improve surgical education at UCI Irvine and to advance the field of colorectal surgery through research.

Dr. Mills is recognized as a national leader in surgical education. He educates medical students and general surgery and colorectal residents daily and mentors trainees and junior faculty—all while actively pursuing his research interests. He has received several awards recognizing his contributions including the University of California, Irvine Golden Apple Award for the “Best Clinical Teaching Professor” at the medical school. His publications include four book chapters and more than 35 peer-reviewed articles. He also has served as a reviewer for numerous prestigious journals. He is a frequent presenter at regional, national, and international forums.

Dr. Mills is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS)and has served on the ASCRS Standard's Committee. He is Board Certified in General Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery and is listed in Best Doctors in America.

Steven and his wife, Kelly Young, PhD, live in Long Beach, California. They have two daughters (Alexa and Elyse). When not working, he enjoys camping, hiking (he recently completed the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim [R2R2R] in one day!), standup paddle-boarding, and cooking with things grown in his garden. However, his favorite pastime is exploring the world with his family.

On behalf of the readers of Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery, the Editorial Board thanks Dr. Mills for serving as Guest Editor and for providing an important issue on trauma, bowel obstruction, and colorectal emergencies.