This year the Academy introduced a new membership category, Affiliate Member, with the induction of non-surgeon professional educators on October 4. Affiliate Members come from disciplines with the potential to impact surgical education and training, and—like Members and Associate Members—commit to supporting the goals of the Academy.
Prior to their induction, more than 100 Academy inductees and members attended a symposium in Chicago the afternoon of October 4 on “Emerging Technologies and Artificial Intelligence in Surgical Care and Education.” The keynote address was delivered by Lawrence Carin, PhD, the James L. Meriam Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, where he also serves as the Vice President for Research.
Developed by the ACS Division of Education, the Academy recognizes surgeon educators who have devoted their careers to surgical education. Individuals are selected as Members, Associate Members, or Affiliate Members following stringent peer review. The Academy’s mission is to play a leadership role in advancing the science and practice of education across all surgical specialties, promoting the highest achievements in the lifetimes of surgeons. Academy membership carries an obligation for commitment to the Academy’s goals, which are to identify, recognize, and recruit innovators and thought leaders committed to advancing lifelong surgical education; translate innovation into actions; offer mentorship to surgeon educators; foster exchange of creative ideas; disseminate advances in surgical education; and positively impact the quality of surgical care and patient safety.
In addition to supporting the mission and goals of the Academy, members must actively participate in Academy programs and activities. “This unique Academy will change the course of surgical education and we will continue to pursue the Academy’s ambitious goals with great enthusiasm,” said Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, FSACME, Director of the ACS Division of Education and co-chair of the Steering Committee of the Academy. “Groups of Members and Associate Members are already working effectively to address these goals. We also plan to start an annual peer-reviewed publicationthat will be launched in late 2020.”
“With highest quality patient care through education being the paramount theme of the American College of Surgeons, the growth of the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators continues an important emerging chapter for the ACS, the world’s largest organization for surgeons,” explained L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, DSc(Hon), FACS, FCCM, FRCSEng(Hon), FRCSEd(Hon), FWACS(Hon), FRCSI(Hon), FCS(SA)(Hon), FRCS(Glasg)(Hon), past president of the ACS, and co-chair of the Steering Committee of the Academy.
“Emphasizing the tremendous importance of surgical education in a changing health care environment will remain one major focus for the Academy’s work. This is really an important time in medicine for this talented and innovative group of surgeon educators and colleagues in other related disciplines to come together to impact surgical education and training,” said ACS Executive Director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS. “We congratulate and welcome members in all categories to the class of 2019.”
For a listing of all surgeons and other professionals honored with selection into the Academy, visit: https://www.facs.org/education/academy/2019selection.
“FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
