Clinical Congress Then and Now: Young Fellows Association

The American College of Surgeons Young Fellows Association (YFA) began in 1969 as the Ad Hoc Committee to Study Relationships with Young Surgeons (CSRYS). The Ad Hoc Committee was set up to examine methods of creating closer interactions with the College’s Candidate Group members—as Resident members were then called—and the young Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). Participation in the group entitled its members to attend Board of Governors meetings to help bridge the generation gap. The first Young Surgeons panel discussion during the Clinical Congress was held in 1971. In 1980, the Young Surgeons booth at Clinical Congress made its debut and in the same year the CSRYS name was changed to the Committee on Young Surgeons. In 2009, that Committee became the YFA.

According to a 2009 Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons article on the formation of the YFA, “The realization that many talented, energetic young people have had limited opportunities to participate in the American College of Surgeons’ activities promoted the Committee on Young Surgeons (CYS) to propose the formation of a new Young Fellows Association (YFA).” The idea for the new group was to allow wider group of young FACS to have increased opportunities to become actively involved in the work of the College on the national, regional, and local level.*

As in years past, the YFA is sponsoring panel sessions during this year’s Clinical Congress: PS 117, Initiates' Program: The Surgical Lifestyle - Finding Joy in the Profession, and PS217, Joys and Trials of Being an Employed Surgeon: Is It Right for You?

*Schneidman D.S. ACS forms a new group to meet the unique needs of young Fellows. Bull Am Coll Surg. 2009;94(8):32-34.

ACS Archives Highlights is a series showcasing the vibrant history of the American College of Surgeons, its members, and the history of surgery. For further information on our featured highlights, search the Archives Catalog or contact the ACS Archivist.