2026 Excelsior Surgical Society Newsletter

President’s Message

Dear Members of the Excelsior Surgical Society, friends, colleagues,

It is a distinct honor and privilege to serve as the 10th President of the Excelsior Surgical Society (ESS). Since the ESS’s official re-establishment in 2014, we have achieved a great deal in a relatively brief timeframe. I recognize the high standards set by my predecessors, and I am especially grateful to have worked with such an outstanding past-president, Captain Matthew D. Tadlock, MD, FACS.

The ESS, the largest organization of military surgeons, exists to improve military medicine for future generations through education, research, and fellowship. While we have made great strides in supporting educational and skill sustainment opportunities, we must strive to be better. Our primary goal is to ensure every generation is prepared to care for combat casualties.

Most of the ESS membership is not trauma and critical care subspecialty trained, yet we all must be constantly ready to care for combat casualties and ready to adapt and lead in austere environments. This requires maintaining combat trauma knowledge and skills in addition to continuing our daily practices.

This is a unique mission, and we must embrace it. We were called for this, and our country will continue to rely on us to accomplish this mission. The time is now to ensure we are prepared. The current military surgical environment demands it.

Together with ESS Vice-President Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Gamble, MD, FACS, the Executive Council, and ESS leadership, I aim to develop new, relevant educational content and additional ways to foster collaboration, mentorship, and fellowship. Our first webinar covered the history of military surgery—a topic highly relevant to the ESS and its foundational principles of sharing lessons learned.

Moving forward, we aim to broaden our educational activities, such as expanded webinars featuring case discussions and the option to earn continuing medical education credit. We are also working to increase our student and resident membership through outreach to Program Directors and Service Chiefs, and our Health Professions Scholarship Program contacts. The ESS will continue to serve as an advocate for clinical experience opportunities for non-trauma, subspecialty-trained surgeons, whether at military treatment facilities or partnered civilian institutions.

The ESS does not exist without you. I urge you to get involved. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly or via excelsior@facs.org with your ideas and feedback.

I look forward to seeing you in our nation's capital in September.

Very respectfully,

Captain Matthew J. Bradley, MD, MS, FACS 
Medical Corps, US Navy 
President, Excelsior Surgical Society

Contact Us

• Email: excelsior@facs.org
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If you have ideas or would like to host a new webinar, remember to view past episodes, and then contact us at excelsior@facs.org to get the passcode for your webinar. Passcodes are available to all members in good standing.

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, the Department of Defense, the US government, or the ACS.