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 20th the Saturday before the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. 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, Education Research, and Global Surgery Research.
The Early Career Development Course will provide junior faculty, fellows, and senior residents with detailed information on launching an academic surgical career. Speakers will offer pearls of wisdom on establishing a clinical footprint, launching a research program, being effective educators, and developing a national profile. Specific topics of discussion will include negotiating for your first or next job, obtaining research funding, finding appropriate mentors and sponsors, understanding compensation plans, and balancing academic, clinical, and personal responsibilities. We will also cover academic advancement strategies such as planning for promotion and optimizing institutional and society commitments. New this year will be small group breakout sessions where attendees will work on preparing an elevator pitch with the guidance of peers and senior surgeons. The planned sessions are “Making Your Mark in the First Few Years,” “Advancing Your Career,” “Sustaining and Building on Early Successes,” and “Managing Life as Junior Faculty.”
Both courses will end the day with a keynote address by Jeffrey Matthews, MD. Through personal interactions and interactive panels in both courses, 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/aas-fall-courses
If you need any more information on this course, please feel free to contact us at any time. We look forward to seeing you!
AAS Fall Courses Chairs
