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Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Membership Benefits
ACS

Certificate in Applied Surgical Education Leadership (CASEL)

Certificate in Applied Surgical Education Leadership (CASEL)

About ACS CASEL

Purpose

The ACS Division of Education continues to play a pivotal national leadership role in surgical education, which is exemplified by our Certificate in Applied Surgical Education Leadership (CASEL) initiative. An assessment of past ACS Surgeons as Educators Course participants confirmed the need for this additional formal training to further develop the specific skills necessary to be a leader in surgical education. A review of existing, related programs illustrates that CASEL will be a unique educational experience, with an emphasis on applied surgical education and leadership.

Hilary Sanfey, MB, BCh, MHPE, FACS, FRCSI, FRCSEd(Hon), MAMSE, co-leads this effort with Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, FSACME, MAMSE. CASEL offers content and skill-building opportunities using a mentored, hybrid-delivery model with an emphasis on applied learning. Participants will implement a relevant surgical education leadership project at their home institutions.

Mission and Goals

The mission of CASEL is to promote excellence in surgical education leaders, improve the quality of surgical training, and, ultimately, patient care. The goals of CASEL are to:

  • Prepare participants for leadership roles in surgical education at a level that allows for the highest educational standards
  • Positively impact quality and patient safety through lifelong surgical education and training
  • Improve surgical education at an institutional and departmental level by promoting innovation and change 

Time Commitment

  • CASEL Kick-Off: Approximately 20 hours of educational content held in Chicago, IL, April 18–20, 2024
  • CASEL Virtual Post-Kick-Off Sessions: 6–8 90-minute evening sessions
  • Mentor Meetings: Expected 1 hour per month
  • Quarterly Check-Ins: June 2024, September 2024, January 2025, March 2025 – each 60-90 minutes
  • Individualized Project Work: Ongoing throughout CASEL program
  • Final Presentation and Graduation: 5–7 hours as part of 2025 CASEL Kick-Off

Tuition

The tuition for CASEL will be $3,950 for members of the American College of Surgeons and $4,250 for non-members.

Outcomes

Following the in-person launch April 18–20, 2024, participants will work remotely with mentors and faculty monthly throughout the ensuing year on their individual institution projects, culminating in a formal presentation in Spring 2025. Additionally, communities of CASEL graduates will be established to promote collaboration.

Upon completion of CASEL, participants will be expected to:

  • Demonstrate critical skills and knowledge of current trends and practices for serving as an effective surgical education leader
  • Implement a project—with the guidance of a mentor(s)—of personal and professional interest and supported by their institution or organization
  • Submit project findings for presentation and/or prepare a manuscript for publication
  • Provide self-assessment and program evaluation for purposes of individual and program enhancements

The American College of Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

How to Apply

Deadline extended to January 2, 2024. Applications to the CASEL program are now open for the 2023-2024 cycle. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us at acscasel@facs.org.

Apply Here

Program Overview

Intended Audience

CASEL is intended for surgeon educators who have at least two years in practice and are interested in improving their skills as education leaders. The program is designed for surgeon educators at any point in their careers. The successful candidate will have experience in a leadership role (or those assuming a leadership role in the near future). Participants will have undergone or participated in structured training in the basics of surgical education, such as the ACS Surgeons as Educators Course or equivalent. CASEL is open to anyone, but preference will be given to ACS Fellows. Space is limited to 16 participants.

Admissions Criteria

  • Limited to surgeon educators from the US and Canada
  • At least two (2) years of experience as a practicing surgeon
  • Completion of ACS Surgeons as Educators Course or equivalent (Surgical Education Research Fellowship program, advanced medical education certificate or degree program)
  • Experience in, or about to assume, a formal leadership role in education
  • Completed application
  • CV
  • One-page biosketch
  • Letter of support from chair or equivalent may be required
  • Realistic project for home institution with evidence of support and necessary resources for implementation

Course Content and Format

CASEL will offer core content and skill-building activities and include a relevant education project implemented at each of the participant’s home institution. In-context (or problem-based) applied learning will be emphasized. A diverse array of topics covering the competencies necessary to lead effectively in education will be discussed.

Topics themes may include:

  • Recognizing colleagues in distress
  • Program outcome evaluation
  • Navigating change
  • Negotiation for educational resources
  • Fostering a more ethnically diverse academic surgical workforce
  • Leading up, down, and across
  • Faculty development and advancement
  • Managing adversity at work and in your life
  • Educational scholarship

Contact Us

If you have questions, contact acscasel@facs.org.

Past Surgical Education Leadership Projects

View the 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 CASEL participant project abstracts.

Timeline

Applications open 

August 7, 2023

Deadline to submit an application

January 2, 2024

Accepted participants are notified

January 19, 2024

Initial contact with participants to discuss individual project, reading list, and leadership assessment activity

February–March 2024

CASEL Kick-Off Weekend (In-person event in Chicago, IL)

April 18-20, 2024

CASEL Online Programming (virtual events)
6–8 selected evenings—Dates are TBD
Individual projects are developed and implemented under guidance from  assigned CASEL mentor

April 2024–April 2025

Quarterly virtual check-ins with a CASEL faculty member and members of the program cohort

June 2024

September 2024

January 2025

March 2025

Final project presentations with new program participants in attendance

At the next CASEL Kick-Off (Spring 2025 – Dates are TBD)

Staff Consultants

Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, FSACME, MAMSE
Director, Division of Education

Patrice Gabler Blair, DrPH, MPH
Associate Director, Division of Education

Sue Lawler, PhD, CPA, MBA
Assistant Director, Comprehensive and Innovative Faculty Development Programs