The Association of Academic Surgery is gearing up for the Fundamentals of Surgical Research (FSRC) and the Early Career Development Courses (ECDC). This year, the Fall Courses will be held on October 21st – the Saturday before the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress – on the beautiful University of California San Diego campus. The two courses will be held in parallel in adjacent conference rooms, allowing for networking and a concluding combined session.
The Fundamentals of Surgical Research Course is targeted towards undergraduate and medical students with an interest in research, residents and fellows, or junior faculty that are embarking on their research careers. Topics that will be covered include those that are broadly applicable to any type of research or surgical discipline, such as finding the right mentor, securing funding, finding clinical/research balance, designing and implementing quality research, and communicating findings in writing and in person. Breakout sessions in the afternoon will allow for more in depth discussions in a small group setting on how to successfully conduct Basic/Translational Research, Clinical/Health Services Research, and Education/Simulation Research.
The Early Career Development Course will provide senior residents, fellows and junior faculty in their first 5 years of practice with detailed information on how to launch an academic surgical career, including such issues as negotiating for your first job, setting up your practice, establishing and funding a successful laboratory or clinical research program, finding appropriate mentors, and finding the right balance in academic, clinical, and personal responsibilities. We will also cover academic advancement strategies such as planning for promotion and optimizing society commitments to achieve local or national visibility. Faculty panels include topics on How to Manage Surgical Complications and Academic Setbacks, How to Successfully Navigate Your Career, and How to Achieve Work/Life Balance.
Both courses will end the day with a keynote address by E. Christopher Ellison, M.D., The Robert M. Zollinger Professor of Surgery, CEO Faculty Group Practice & Senior Associate, Vice-President for Health Sciences, and Vice-Dean for Clinical Affairs, as well as president-elect of the American Surgical Association. He will discuss “Conquering the Challenges Facing the Young Surgical Scientist Through Mentorship”. Through personal interactions and interactive panels in both sessions, you will learn various paths to academic success. This will be followed by a networking reception where the attendees and faculty can establish new relationships or reconnect.
We ask and highly encourage you to send students, residents, fellows and faculty from your institution to these valuable courses. The content is updated each year and every effort is made to include novel and “hot” topics – so consider a return visit if you have already attended.
Here is the link to the full program and to register: www.aasurg.org/meetings/fallcourses.php
If you need any more information on this course, please feel free to contact us at any time. We look forward to seeing you!
Carrie C. Lubitz, MD, MPH, FACS
Chair, AAS Clinical & Health Services Research Committee
Co-Chair, Fundamentals of Surgical Research Course
Drew Shirley, MD, FACS
Chair, AAS Basic/Translational Science Committee
Co-Chair, Fundamentals of Surgical Research Course
Rajesh Aggarwal, MBBS, MA, PhD, FRCS
Co-Chair, AAS Leadership Committee
Co-Chair, Early Career Development Course
Hari Nathan, PhD, FACS
Co-Chair, AAS Leadership Committee
Co-Chair, Early Career Development Course
