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President's Column
by Stephen R. T Evan, MD, FACS
It is a great honor to accept the position as president of the
Metropolitan Washington Chapter of the American College of Surgeons
and the Washington Academy of Surgery. Merely being involved in
what is considered by many as one of the most outstanding chapters
in the country is a privilege in and of itself. A casual review
of the past chapter presidents makes this position all the more
meaningful because of the accomplishments of the individuals who
have been leaders of this chapter.
Historically, our chapter has always considered education an integral
part of our role as it relates to surgical residents and young surgeons
in the Metropolitan Washington community. Other chapters throughout
the country carry out different roles, but ours has always focused
on education as a primary endeavor in part as a reflection of the
number of training programs in the Metropolitan Washington area
and the influx of young surgeons into our surgical community. These
are very heady times in the world of surgical education. In the
March 2002 issue of the Archives of Surgery, five special articles
deal with the ability to attract medical students to the specialty
of surgery as a career path and the ongoing challenges that we face
as a specialty. The changing work environment for surgical residents,
the change in priorities of lifestyle over practice, and the competition
we face with other specialties are
the glaring realities of the difficulty that the specialty of surgery
faces in attracting young physicians.
March 1, 2002, was the match day for all specialties throughout
the country, when medical students find out where they will train.
The number of unmatched preliminary and categorical positions is
approaching a 10% unmatched rate in categorical positions. And these
programs are some of the most prestigious programs in the country,
again a reflection of the changing medical student and our ability
to attract the best and the brightest. Some of you may not have
direct contact with students and residents in surgery, but these
issues affect us all. Last year, I had the opportunity to speak
to a group of more than 100 young surgeons from around the country
in Chicago for the American College of Surgeons. When surveyed about
their interactions with students and residents regarding contact
time and their educational role, more than 98% said they were actively
involved at some level. I raise this issue to reinforce the importance
of our chapter's role in education. Our very active Young Surgeons
Committee continues to carry out a number of activities that are
of paramount importance to our chapter. Additionally, our Surgical
Residents Competitive Forum continues to be a tremendous venue for
all of our residents in the Washington area to share their research
expertise. I hope over the next year that the Chapter Council will
expand our roles in these educational efforts, not just related
to young students and residents in the Metropolitan Washington area,
but also for young surgeons moving into the Washington, DC, area.
Again, I am honored to accept the position as president of the
chapter and look forward to the opportunity of working with each
and every one of you over the next year to embrace all that is great
about the practice of surgery and to share the enthusiasm, energy,
and excitement that we have so uniquely here in the Metropolitan
Washington Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and the Washington
Academy of Surgery.
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