The ACS is The House of Surgery®, and we work to unite and serve surgeons in every surgical discipline, practice type, and geographic location, as well as at every point in their professional lives. Many resources the ACS offers can help members develop and thrive at a specific stage of their surgical training and careers. This month, I’ll provide an overview of our benefits for each career stage.
Fellows and Associate Fellows
The ACS has numerous resources for practicing surgeons, whether they are Fellows of the ACS or Associates (an early career surgeon not yet eligible for Fellowship). The practice management hub, for example, is designed for both employed and private practice surgeons, with support for compensation negotiation, contracts, billing and coding, and management.
The ACS also offers grants and scholarships of nearly $2 million per year to members, supporting conference attendance, Quality Programs engagement, mentorship, and research. For more information, please see my March 2024 column, “Scholarships for Every Type of Surgeon.”
The ACS focuses on education (including CME-eligible courses) for practicing surgeons as well. Options include our online course on artificial intelligence and machine learning in surgery; simulation-based education; Current Trends in General Surgery, an online review course for general surgeons; and the newly revised Surgical Education and Self-Assessment Program (SESAP®) 19 and SESAP 19 Advanced, as well as the new 11th edition of Advanced Trauma Life Support.
Additional programs serve those interested in further developing leadership and teaching skills. These include the highly popular Surgeons as Leaders and Surgeons as Educators courses and the sought-after Committee on Trauma Future Trauma Leaders program.
Fellows, associate fellows, and residents can also access a Physician Business Training course offered in conjunction with another organization, specialty-specific compensation reports, and study resources at markedly discounted rates.
Of course, one of the most prominent features of the ACS is Fellowship, which confirms each Fellow’s excellence in surgical practice. For those younger than 45 years, Fellowship comes with an additional benefit: membership in the Young Fellows Association, an ACS career-stage group featuring career advice, networking, and camaraderie, as well as webinars on multiple topics, including healthcare quality and a mentorship program.
Senior Surgeons
Our most seasoned members have contributed significantly to how surgery is practiced today and have essential insights to impart to our profession.
We have begun to develop programming specifically for senior surgeons, including the recent creation of their own career-stage group, the Senior Fellows Society. The inaugural meeting of this group will occur at Clinical Congress 2025, on October 4 at 11:30 am in the Marriott Marquis Chicago. All senior and retired surgeons are invited to connect with this group.
Senior surgeons also enjoy membership dues waivers. Fellows who have maintained their membership may have their dues waived starting the membership year after their 70th birthday. Completely retired surgeons may also apply for a dues waiver.
Surgical Residents
Residents of all surgical specialties are invited to enjoy free ACS membership as part of a pilot developed to enhance engagement for our trainees.
Residents are automatically part of their career-stage group, the Resident and Associate Society (RAS). RAS activities include career advice, networking, and leadership opportunities. This year, the group will host a RAS Lounge in the Exhibit Hall at Clinical Congress for relaxation and social connections, as well as share information about the new online RAS Curated Resource Library.
The ACS also has numerous educational resources for those in training, often at deep discounts, including the Residents as Teachers and Leaders and a 2-day Surgery Resident Program at Clinical Congress.
Additionally, there are new offerings developed for training programs. The Senior Resident Readiness Assessment (SRRA) complements our Entering Resident Readiness Assessment (ERRA), and Objective Assessment of Skills in Surgery (OASIS) adds an assessment for residents in postgraduate year 2.
Finally, we support emerging surgeon-scientists during their residency years. Our Clinical Scholars in Residence program and Resident Research Scholarship each provide 2 years of support to residents pursuing research careers.
Medical Students
To support interested students in their pursuit of a career in surgery, the ACS now offers a modestly priced 4-year ACS medical student membership.
We have numerous resources for students who are discerning their future path within surgery. These include our So You Want to Be a Surgeon web pages and a Guide to Choosing a Residency, as well as the National Professional Development Seminars for Medical Students, which includes informational videos by surgeon leaders in 13 separate surgical disciplines.
For those preparing for a surgical residency, we have educational materials, including Medical Student Educational Modules National Tutorial Seminars for Medical Students on essentials of surgical care, and Medical Minutiae, a Jeopardy!-style clinical game. Jointly with the Association for Surgical Education (ASE), we also have developed the Medical Student Core Curriculum and Simulation-Based Surgical Skills Curriculum, as well as a Resident Prep Curriculum (developed with the ASE and Association of Program Directors in Surgery).
Medical students are welcome at every ACS conference, including Clinical Congress, where they can join the 3-day Medical Student Program featuring insights from practicing surgeons, simulated interviews, and other professional skill-building sessions.
Finally, we have just formalized the Medical Student Society, a career-stage group that automatically includes all medical student members. This year, the first executive committee was selected and a webinar series initiated.
Mobile App
To help all members track the myriad resources offered, we’ve created a new, members-only mobile app that connects each surgeon to relevant resources. It is available for free download now. This initial iteration will continue to grow in functionality in future versions.
Clinical Congress 2025
Of course, many ACS offerings serve members in every career stage. Clinical Congress is a prime example. Join us this year, and please note: all registrants will receive on-demand access until February 23, 2026, to recorded sessions offering more than 150 CME credits. Learn more and register at facs.org/clincon2025.
