Following medical school, he completed an Internship in General Surgery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where he met his lovely wife. Together, they moved to Palo Alto, California where Dr. Helling completed General Surgery Residency at Stanford, serving his final year as a Chief Resident. While at Stanford, Dr. Helling presented his research on advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques at local, regional, and national meetings. He also won several awards for medical student teaching and laparoscopic surgical skills during his time as a resident.

After residency, Dr. Helling completed a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery. He continued his academic pursuits, presenting his research and providing clinical care to an international audience. During his time in Boston, he was also a Clinical Instructor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, where he was responsible for teaching the next generation of surgeons.