The Academic Surgeon - Official Blog of the AAS

The Academic Surgeon is the official blog of the AAS. We post anywhere from one to three times a week and our contributors will focus on issues relevant to young academic surgeons, residents, fellows, and even medical students.

If you would like to contribute, please submit your post here: https://www.aasurg.org/the-academic-surgeon-blog-submission/

Our Experience Live -Tweeting During the Association for Academic Surgery 2016 Fall Courses – Early Career Development Course

Social media has become a widespread tool among surgeons for professional networking, distributing research and collaborating. Social networking is essential to surgical practice, making fluency in social media imperative for the newest generation of surgeons entering practice. Social media is a unique tool that can be used to enhance clerkships, residency educational experiences, and continuing …

The Power of Three

One, two… three. Have you ever noticed the curiosity of three? From concepts to differentials, when it hits three, the mind receives. Hit four or more and many, like us, just tend to forget. The phenomenon of three permeates our everyday life. From branches of government to marketing slogans (“Just do it!” and “I’m lovin …

Negotiating Your Basic Science Startup Package – The Must Haves

Negotiating your first job is a challenging, but exciting time. As a new faculty member you want to ensure that you have the necessary tools to set yourself up for success. But, you also want to be a reasonable person who easily integrates into the new team without having unrealistic demands. When setting up a …

ASE – Inaugural Podcast

The Association of Surgical Education (ASE) is proud to announce it inaugural podcast hosted by Dr. Kevin Pei. Their first guest is incoming ASE President, Dr. Amalia Cochran, who will discuss the pathway to a successful career in surgical education. To view the ASE podcast and hear future episodes, please visit the following link: https://surgicaleducation.com/podcast/ …

How do we reward good doctors and teachers in academic surgery?

There are many objective means available to evaluate a faculty member. Estimating a faculty’s worth is important for job placement, compensation, and career development. One of the first things many do when “evaluating” someone is to perform a PubMed search, but even that gauge, limited to research, is fraught with challenges and controversies. Grant rewards …

How do surgical trainees achieve autonomy while preserving patient safety? Issues with the current general surgery residency paradigm

We are in an era of conflicts in medicine. The goal of early discharges is in conflict with readmission rates. Resident quality of life is in conflict with academic productivity and clinical exposure. Perhaps the root conflict arising in surgical training is that between trainee autonomy and patient safety. The goal of surgical residency is …

Request for Self-Nominations for JSR Associate Editor Positions

The Journal of Surgical Research (JSR) is accepting self-nominations for four editorial leadership positions: Associate Editor for Surgical Oncology – The Journal is seeking applicants with expertise in surgical oncology, particularly surgery related to breast cancer, melanoma, or sarcoma. Associate Editor for Gastrointestinal Surgery – The Journal is seeking applicants with expertise in gastrointestinal surgery, …

Record Breaking Numbers at the FSRC!

The Fundamentals of Surgical Research Course was a hit! Over 150 participants with faculty from 24 institutions came together in D.C. for a day of lectures, panels, break-out sessions, and networking. The day began with an inspiring kickoff lecture from Dr. Julie Ann Sosa touting the rewards of a career in academic surgery, and ended …

Breast Cancer Boot Camp or Why Do Clinical Trials Take So Much Effort?

No one ever said that clinical research is easy, but researchers can be informed by the aphorism about exercise, “no pain, no gain!” Roshni Rao, MD, a breast surgical oncologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, recently posed the question, “what is the benefit of exercise in patients with breast cancer?” Certainly, many …

What to Remember and What to Forget

Being a surgeon is hard. But, I don’t think anyone who chooses to pursue a career as a surgeon really gains a full appreciation for the gravity of the job until you walk into the OR for first time and all the responsibility for what happens from the moment the case starts until the time …