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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.

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ACS
Surgical Training

Blue Ribbon Committee Works on Recommendations to Advance Surgical Training

November 21, 2023

blue-ribbon-committee.jpg

Blue Ribbon Committee II Steering Committee and Subcommittee Chairs

(front row, from left) Karen Brasel, MD, MPH, FACS, Jo Buyske, MD, FACS, Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, Co-Chair Steven C. Stain, MD, FACS, Co-Chair E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, and Kayla Terhune, MD, MBA, FACS

(back row, from left) Timothy C. Flynn, MD, PhD, FACS, Kristen Conrad-Schnetz, DO, FACS, Mary Klingensmith, MD, FACS, Karen Fisher, JD, Richard Damewood, MD, FACS, Mary T. Hawn, MD, FACS, John D. Mellinger, MD, FACS, L. D. Britt, MD, MPH, FACS, Jeffrey B. Matthews, MD, FACS, Julie Freischlag, MD, FACS, Carla M. Pugh, MD, PhD, FACS, Adnan Alseidi, MD EdM, FACS, and Keith D. Lillemoe, MD, FACS

(not pictured) Diana L. Farmer, MD, FACS, Gerald Fried, MD, CM, FACS, and Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS

Members of the ACS/American Surgical Association (ASA) Blue Ribbon Committee II, co-chaired by ACS Immediate Past-President E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, and ACS Regent Steven Stain, MD, FACS, met last week at ACS Headquarters in Chicago. They are developing a series of recommendations on enhancing and advancing surgical training and research.

“We cover the whole gamut of medical student education, resident education, training of surgical scientists, transition to practice, faculty development, newer methodologies, and education including AI and simulation,” said Dr. Ellison.

The first Blue Ribbon Committee published recommendations in 2005. A year ago, Drs. Ellison and Stain talked about updating and expanding those recommendations. They formed a new committee that includes 60 surgeons from across the US.

“Our goal is to be bold and make recommendations,” Dr. Ellison said. “We are not going to lay out blueprints for implementation; we are going to lay out opportunities for improvement. How can we help and enhance the young surgeon who is training to be better—technically and professionally? I think we will uncover some really great ideas.” 

Results of their efforts will be unveiled at the ASA meeting in April.