The Society of University Surgeons is proud to kick off its blog this week in conjunction with the 14th Annual Academic Surgical Congress. This joint meeting of the SUS and AAS began 14 years ago as the leaders of these leading academic surgical societies recognized the power of collaboration. The synergy between the two has resulted in the largest (and continuously growing) academic surgical meeting in the world!
The ASC offers the perfect venue for surgeon scientists at the very beginning of their career to gain experience in the scientific method and subsequent presentation of that hard work—the focus of the AAS. Another, equally important mission of the ASC is to foster and grow the skills of the mid-career surgeon scientist—the focus of the SUS. Mentoring and mentorship are the lifeblood of academic surgery. The eager medical student who develops into a sharp surgical resident and research fellow who goes on to a new faculty position, will inevitably encounter new challenges and identify new goals in his or her career. Conversely, the transition from junior faculty to mid-career faculty is not as clear or defined. Unfortunately, our profession often loses some of the best and brightest during this potentially turbulent time. The SUS strives to foster the energy of early career surgeon scientists and help them develop into the leaders of today and tomorrow! After all, the mission of the SUS is supporting and advancing leaders in academic surgery.
This blog will provide you with insight into the impact of many SUS initiatives, such as the Mid-Career Course, the Leadership Agility Program, the Promising Leaders Program, and the Surgical Investigators’ Course. You will also hear from SUS leaders and the membership at large on important academic and societal topics such as diversity and equity, firearm safety, altruism, and professional development. We hope you enjoy hearing from the SUS, but we also want to hear from you. If you have ideas for blog posts, please reach out to us! Thank you!