The Academic Surgeon is the official blog of the AAS. We post anywhere from one to three times a week and our contributors will focus on issues relevant to young academic surgeons, residents, fellows, and even medical students.
If you would like to contribute, please submit your post here: https://www.aasurg.org/the-academic-surgeon-blog-submission/
Looming in Near the Future – The Uncertainty of Scientific Funding as a Young Investigator
It is an understatement to say that there has been substantial uncertainty for surgeon-scientists around the country regarding the future of scientific funding. As context, I am a PGY-5 general surgery resident, soon-to-be complex general surgical oncology fellow, and aspiring surgeon-scientist with an interest in running an independently funded basic and translational science lab. On …
In Pursuit of Professional Authenticity
As we’ve trudged out of the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic and persisted in daily life, burnout has been at the forefront of many conversations in healthcare settings. If we are honest, the surgical community has likely been battling burnout long before COVID with its taxing training paradigm and work schedule that is constantly searching …
Health Policy in Action – A Brief History of Hospital Desegregation in the United States
Unfortunately, racial disparities in health care outcomes have persisted over many decades in the United States, largely due to historical social and structural injustices leaving minoritized groups at long term disadvantage in health care access and high-quality care. My academic interest lies in the intersection of health care policy and health disparities, and I am …
Beyond the Finochietto: The Role of Education in Injury Prevention
We’ve drilled this in the simulation lab, and we’ve seen our teams enter the chest with speed and grace. “Grab the Finochietto!” Learning the steps of a resuscitative thoracotomy ensures we’re prepared for this traumatic cardiac arrest and will undoubtedly save lives. But how else can we train surgeons to prevent violent injuries and save …
New Associate Editor for the Journal of Surgical Research
Congratulations to the new Associate Editor for the Education and Career Development section of the Journal of Surgical Research! We are pleased to announce that Rebecca L. Hoffman, MD, MSCE, has been selected to serve as an Associate Editor for the Education and Career Development section of the Journal of Surgical Research (JSR). Dr. Hoffman …
New Associate Statistics Editor for the Journal of Surgical Research
Congratulations to the new Journal of Surgical Research Statistics Editor! We are pleased to announce that Lakshika Tennakoon, MD, MPhil, has been selected to serve as Associate Statistics Editor for the Journal of Surgical Research (JSR). She will be joining our current Statistics Editor, Mazen Zenati, MD, MPH, PhD, and Associate Statistics Editors, Kanhua Yin, …
What is your P(doom)?
Living in the Bay Area, it’s difficult to get through a day without hearing the letter “A” followed by “I”. Driving on the Highway 101, there is a billboard every half mile touting some sort of AI-enable something. Undoubtably, AI has changed your life, whether you know it or not. As AI becomes ever more …
Understanding Your Rights
What Information You Can Access After an Insurance Claim Denial More than one out of every three adults in the United States (US) experience at least one insurance claim denial,1 a rate that has recently increased. A report from the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations showed that the denial rate doubled in a short …
New Year, New You
The Key to Preserving Your Role as a Surgeon Scientist In the ever-evolving field of medicine, the role of the surgeon scientist is among the most demanding and rewarding career paths. Combining the technical expertise of a surgeon with the investigative curiosity of a scientist requires not only immense dedication but also a lifelong ability …
“You Look Too Young To Be My Surgeon!” – Navigating Patient’s Assumptions About Age as Junior, Female Faculty
The clock ticked past 4AM in the emergency room. It was eerily quiet for the ER as I sat next to the chief resident on my service with a 78-year-old patient who had presented with severe abdominal pain, deranged vitals, and pneumoperitoneum on his CT scan. After talking with him for 15 minutes, I provided …