Becoming a successful surgeon requires more than developing technical expertise.
Residents also must develop the nonclinical skills needed to navigate job interviews and contracts, lead teams, manage difficult conversations, teach effectively, make financial decisions, and build sustainable careers.
The expanded Surgery Resident Series at Clinical Congress, “Practical Knowledge for All Trainees,” will help trainees develop these skills with focused programming offered throughout all 4 days of the meeting. Designed for current surgery residents and fellows from all surgical disciplines, the series also gives trainees opportunities to connect with peers from across the country, ACS leaders, and surgeons representing a variety of career paths.
“We are excited to offer an expanded program for surgical trainees,” said Program Chair Leigh A. Neumayer, MD, MS, FACS. “Initially hosted by the Division of Education and now offered in partnership with the Division of Member Services, the program has evolved over the years in response to feedback, expanding from 1 day to multiple opportunities across the entire Clinical Congress. We are delighted to have a wide array of programming to meet the needs of trainees and fellows.”
Build Skills Beyond the OR
Today’s programming, beginning at 7:30 am in Room 145AB, will tackle some of the professional challenges residents face as they prepare for their next career step. Lily Chang, MD, FACS, and Michelle Ju, MD, both from the University of Washington in Seattle, will offer strategies for moving “Beyond the CV” and strengthening interview skills, followed by a keynote address, “There and Back Again,” by Joshua Taylor, MD, FACS, from The Surgical Clinic, Smyrna, Tennessee.
ACS President Anton N. Sidawy, MD, MPH, FACS, will present the Jameson L. Chassin, MD, FACS, Award for Professionalism in General Surgery to Alexandra Hernandez, MD, MCR, MS, from the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, and the ACS Resident Award for Exemplary Teaching to Taylor Carter, MD, MHPE, from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Sidawy then will join Resident and Associate Society (RAS) Chair Fedra Fallahian, MD, from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, for a fireside chat examining the many roles residents balance during surgical training, including leadership, advocacy, learning, professionalism, and humanity.
Later in the morning, Kyla P. Terhune, MD, MBA, FACS, ACS Senior Vice President, Education, and Ajita Prabhu, MD, FACS, from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, will lead a session on empowering residents as teachers and leaders. Kellie McFarlin, MD, FACS, from Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan, will close out the morning with strategies for turning difficult conversations into stronger interprofessional relationships.
Programming Continues Throughout Clinical Congress
But resident-focused programming does not end today.
From Sunday through Tuesday, the series will move to the RAS Lounge in the Exhibit Hall (Hall D), where shorter sessions will address practical topics trainees can apply throughout their careers. Sunday’s lineup includes developing an effective reading and notation system, avoiding personal finance pitfalls, negotiating compensation and contracts, and finding leadership opportunities within RAS and the ACS.
On Monday, Taiwo Adesoye, MD, FACS, from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, will lead “Developing Your Identity as a Surgeon Educator,” while James E. Wiseman, MD, MBA, FACS, from Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, will discuss career paths in military surgery. Adair F. deBerry-Carlisle, DO, FACS, a locum tenens surgeon, also will offer strategies for creating greater balance in professional life during “Building Blocks to Balance.” The RAS Annual Business Meeting will follow from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.
Tuesday turns toward the transition to independent practice. Julia Coleman, MD, MPH, FACS, from The Ohio State University in Columbus, will discuss using feedback to accelerate that transition, while Madeline B. Torres, MD, from MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in Camden, New Jersey, will offer guidance on finding the right fit for fellowship and practice. Later, Jessica Burgess, MD, FACS, from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, will discuss getting started in advocacy, and Ana Berlin, MD, FACS, Chair of the ACS Committee on Surgical Palliative Care, will lead “Cutting to the Core: Goals of Care Conversations in Serious Surgical Illness.”
Prepare for the Next Career Step
Together, the sessions address many of the decisions and responsibilities trainees face as they prepare for the clinical and professional demands of a surgical career.
By bringing practical career guidance directly to Clinical Congress, the Surgery Resident Series gives trainees tools and connections that can help them prepare for the transition from resident to practicing surgeon.
The Surgery Resident Series is available at no additional cost to current surgery residents and fellows from all surgical disciplines who are registered for Clinical Congress. Separate registration is required to attend today’s programming, and space is limited.
