Advisory Councils for the Surgical Specialties
Advisory Councils perform the following functions:
- Serve as a liaison in the communication of information to and from surgical societies and the Regents.
- Advise the Regents on policy matters relating to their specialties.
- Discuss matters to be presented to the Regents or other College departments or committees.
- Nominate Fellows from the surgical specialties to serve on College committees and other committees and organizations.
- Provide specialty input into the development of general and specialty sessions for the Clinical Congress.
Originally, the councils only advised the Regents and planned educational programs for the Clinical Congress. However, as the health care arena began changing in the 1970s, the role of the Advisory Councils was revamped. In 1979, in order to enhance the College’s relationship with the specialties, the Board of Regents approved a major reorganization of the Specialty Advisory Councils. Although the councils had been a part of the College’s organizational structure for years, their status was now elevated to “intensify” communication between the Board of Regents and the various specialty organizations.
Each of the 12 councils is comprised of representatives from the various specialty societies, as well as members of the Board of Governors. Also serving on each council is a Program Representative and a Surgical Forum Committee Representative, who are liaison members to the Program Committee and the Committee on Fundamental Surgical Problems. A specialty member from the Resident and Associate Society (RAS) participates on each council. Each council also has an ex-officio Regental representative to facilitate communication between the Regents and the council.
The College at Work: The Advisory Councils (408K PDF) reprinted from the May 2000 Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons.
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Revised June 1, 2011