The Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons (RAS-ACS) sponsors and has access to a variety of scholarships, competitions, awards, and project work that Residents and Associate Fellow members can take advantage of and volunteer for.
Awards
Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award
The Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons (RAS-ACS) presented the Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award to Danielle Saunders Walsh, MD, FACS, FAAP, a pediatric surgeon from Greenville, NC. Dr. Walsh is a general surgery residency program director, for the department of surgery, vice-chair for diversity and inclusion, associate professor of surgery, division of pediatric surgery at East Carolina University and Vidant Medical Center, and director of surgical quality at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital, Greenville.
Nominations will open each year in August.
Scholarships and Fellowships
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) presents scholarships focused on Residents and Associate Fellows.
Scholarships for Residents
Nizar N. Oweida, MD, FACS, Scholarship (Associate Fellows are eligible to apply)
George H. A. Clowes, Jr., MD, FACS, Memorial Research Career Development Award
Learn about the 2019 Leadership Scholarship Award Recipients
Competitions
RAS-ACS Symposium Essay Contest
The RAS-ACS invites all ACS Resident Members and Associate Fellow to submit an essay to the annual RAS-ACS Symposium. This year’s topic is Surgical Resident Unionization. For participating institutions, resident unions provide a mechanism to unify and mobilize residents, who otherwise are departmentally based and decentralized. However, some argue against resident unionization for a number of reasons, from financial to cultural. Submit your Pro or Con essay by Friday, May 15.
2019 RAS-ACS Communications Committee Essay Contest Winner
RAS-ACS Congratulates Resident Member Laura F. Goodman, MD, PGY-3, Pediatric Surgery, Loma Linda, CA, for her winning essay, Cut it Out: Changing the Status Quo. Dr. Goodman will receive a $500 cash award presented during the RAS-ACS Business Meeting on October 29 at Clinical Congress 2019 in San Francisco, CA. Her winning essay will be published in the January issue of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons. Sponsored by the RAS-ACS Communications Committee, the essay contest attracted eight essays this year, and were judged by four committee members who rated the essays against a five-point scale using the following criteria:
- Technical use of vocabulary and grammar
- Language and writing style
- Reflection of ACS principles
Congratulations, Dr. Goodman!
Project Work
The RAS-ACS sponsors a variety of committees that work on annual projects for the society during the year. As an ACS Resident Member or Associate Fellow, you are encouraged to get involved and join a RAS Committee.
Advocacy & Issues
This committee aims to promote grassroots legislative awareness and advocacy interest in ACS. Projects include:
- Institutional and residency GME funding inadequacies
- Annual Symposium at Clinical Congress
- Firearm Ingury Podcast Series
- Diversity in Surgical Trial Participants
- Opioid Education
Communications
This committee holds an annual Essay Contest, and disseminates information to RAS members regarding all aspects of a surgical career through:
- An e-newsletter
- Annual essay competition
- August Bulletin issue
- Podcast creation
- JACS social media journal club collaboration
- RAS promotional videos
- Social media
Education
This committee investigates, discusses, and disseminates educational ideas and practices for all surgical disciplines related to training. Projects include:
- Surgical skills competition, So You Think You Can Operate? at Clinical Congress annually
- Surgical Jeopardy for chapters
- Electronic Medical Record Survey
- Panel Sessions for Clinical Congress
- Landmark Papers online Journal Club, subcommittee of Behind the Knife Podcast
Membership
This committee works to increase members and member engagement in the College. Projects include:
- International Scholarship Exchange
- Member incentives, recruitment, and engagement
- Monthly phone Hangouts on various topics
Associate Fellow
Newsletter
How To Become FACS session at Clinical Congress annually
Monthly Conference Call Schedule
Each committee meets one Wednesday a month via conference call at 8:00 pm Central.
- 1st Wednesday: Advocacy & Issues
- 2nd Wednesday: Communications
- 3rd Wednesday: Membership
- 4th Wednesday: Education
Contact RASNews@facs.org and tell us which committee you would like to join and we will include you in the roster.