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Background
The Metropolitan Washington Chapter of the American College of Surgeons was
founded in 1972. Its goals since then have been as follows:
- To promote the aims, interests, ideals, and programs of the College in the
metropolitan area of Washington, which includes DC as well as suburban
Maryland and Virginia.
- To hold itself responsible for and use its best
efforts to attain the objectives of the College, which are to "elevate the
standards of surgery, establish a standard of competency and of character for
practitioners of surgery, to provide a method of granting Fellowship, and to
educate the public and the profession to understand that the practice of
surgery calls for special training and that the surgeon elected to Fellowship
in this College has had such training and is properly qualified to practice
surgery."
- To welcome new Fellows of the College into the Chapter and develop
better acquaintances among local Fellows.
- To stimulate interest in the
Resident-Associate Society (RAS) among surgical residents and young
surgeons.
The Chapter comprises more than 400 members. These individuals are drawn from all
the surgical specialties-from general surgery to plastic surgery, from
urology to vascular. The membership is very diverse with significant
representation from all the local training centers, including the military.
Chapter Council
All Chapter activities and affairs are managed by its Council, which consists of
the officers of the Chapter, councillors elected by members of the Chapter,
and Governors and Regents of the College residing in the area. Chairs of the
Chapters' special interest committees (such as the Young Surgeons Committee,
the Program Committee, and the award committees), as well as the College's
Cancer Liaison and the local Trauma Committee Chair serve as ex-officio
members of the Council and are asked to attend its meetings.
Officers of the Chapter include a President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer,
Immediate Past President, and six Councillors. Officers serve one-year terms
and are elected by the Chapter membership during the annual meeting-All
Surgeons Day. Councillors also are elected during the annual meeting, and
they serve three-year terms.
Chapter Activities
The Metropolitan Washington Chapter is one of the most active branches of the
College. This fact is attributable to strong leadership and a dedicated and
diverse membership. The Chapter sponsors a range of events and activities
designed to appeal to all surgeons and surgical residents. These activities
are discussed below.
All Surgeons Day
All Surgeons Day is the Chapter's annual scientific and educational meeting for
Fellows of the, College and interested non-Fellow physicians in the
metropolitan Washington area. The purpose of the one-day meeting is to offer
the most current information about the art and science of surgery in order to
raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve care for the surgical
patient.
To accomplish its purpose, All Surgeons Day offers a varied continuing medical
education (CME) program in all surgical specialties with special emphasis
placed on new technology and emerging issues. Analysis of their associated
applications and complications is prominent. Sessions are designed to draw on
expertise from various specialties and to meet the need for exchange of
information and cooperation among the specialties.
In addition to three different sets of breakout sessions, All Surgeons Day
is the location of the chapter's annual business meeting breakfast. During
this portion of the program, the Chapter elects its incoming Council
and presents the awards described below. The next All Surgeons Day is scheduled
to be held Saturday, February 24, 2007 at The Georgetown Conference Center.
Harry B. Zehner, Jr., Memorial Traveling Fellowship Award
The Metropolitan Washington Chapter established the Zehner Memorial Traveling
Fellowship to honor the late Dr. Harry B. Zehner, Jr., a founder and prime
advocate of the Chapter. The award is presented annually during All Surgeons
Day to an outstanding local surgical or surgical specialty resident who has
been successfully nominated by his or her training director. The award of
$1,500 must be used to visit another residency program chosen by the selected
candidate in order to exchange ideas and observe surgical techniques in the
resident's field. It may also be used to attend a postgraduate training
program at another facility, as approved by the training director.
Click here for information about the
Zehner Award and an application form.
Candidates for this award must be: at least third-year general surgery or
surgical specialty residents in an approved program in the DC area; members
of the College's Resident-Associate Society (RAS); and nominated by their training directors,
who will assist them in arranging their traveling fellowship.
LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., Award
The LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., Award was established to honor the achievements of
Dr. Leffall- one of the nation's finest surgeons. The award is presented
regularly, but not necessarily annually, to the active or senior members of the
Chapter who best exemplifies the characteristics and achievements Dr. Leffall
has shared with this community and with the College throughout his career.
Dinners
The Metropolitan Washington Chapter sponsors two black-tie (optional) dinners each year-one
in the spring and one in the fall. Although both dinners are great
opportunities to network and to hear the views of prominent guest speakers,
the tone and purpose of the two events do differ.
The Spring Dinner Meeting is hosted by the Chapter in conjunction with the
Washington Academy of Surgery. This dinner generally is attended by
established surgeons and serves as an opportunity for the two surgical groups
to interact and honor their past Presidents. The Spring Dinner also features
a guest speaker, such as well-known surgeon, a health policy analyst, or a
leader of the College. The next Spring Dinner will be held Wednesday,
May 17, 2006 at 6:30 pm. The location is the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC.
The Fall Dinner, meanwhile, is hosted by the Chapter's Young Surgeons
Committee. The focus of this event is to allow surgical residents, young
surgeons, and Chapter leaders to interact. Like the Spring
Dinner Meeting, this dinner generally a guest presentation by an Officer or
Regent of the College. The next Fall Dinner TBA.
This year we are trying something different. The Young Surgeons will be hosting their very first
Happy Hour. The Happy Hour will be held Friday, November 17, 2006 at 7:30 pm at 6the ACS - Metropolitan
Washington D.C. Chapter Headquarters.
All-City Grand Rounds
Twice each year, the Chapter's Young Surgeons Committee presents All-City Grand
Rounds at Children's National Medical Center. Modeled on the Grand Rounds
format of local surgical training programs, this venue allows surgical
residents to share with their colleagues interesting or unusual cases. CME
credit is granted to attendees, and all training programs are asked to have
attendance at this event serve in lieu of their Grand Rounds that week. The
next All-City Grand Rounds TBA.
Basic Science Review Course
This course, coordinated by the Young Surgeons Committee, is designed to help
surgical residents refresh their knowledge of basic science before they take
the annual In Training Service Basic Science Examination. This one-day
program features lectures on specific surgical systems by prominent
practicing surgeons in the area, as well as clinical roundtable discussions.
Attendance at the course is limited to residents who are members of the
College's Resident-Associate Society (RAS). The next Basic Science Review Course TBA.
Advanced Operative Strategies Course
Yet another Young Surgeons Committee project, the Advanced Operative Strategies
Course is presented once a year to help chief surgical residents become more
comfortable with advanced operations, such as the Whipple procedure. The
course features brief didactic sessions and extensive cadaver dissections led
by experts on specific surgical procedures. The Advanced Operative Strategies Course TBA.
Conclusion
The Metropolitan Washington Chapter of the College is one of the most active and
respected in the country. The strength of this Chapter comes from within-from outstanding
leadership and a diverse membership. To keep the Chapter vital, we strongly encourage
Fellows to join. For more information about membership in the Metropolitan Washington
Chapter of the College or about any of the above activities, please contact
Ebony Harris, Chapter Administrator, at (202) 337-2701 or by e-mail at
eharris@facs.org.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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