The Academic Surgeon - Official Blog of the AAS

I wrote a different essay for this blog several weeks ago. But after the events of the past few weeks, that essay now seems irrelevant. In the midst of a national public healthcare crisis, a new crisis has emerged, one that is as much a threat -if not more so- to the wellbeing of our […]

As a surgical oncologist, I have developed principles that helped me build a successful practice; provide excellent care to my patients; work and lead multidisciplinary teams; mentor medical students, residents, and fellows; expedite patient visits, and perform research and clinical trials. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned my world upside down. Every instinct I follow […]

Dear AAS Members, On May 25, 2020, Mr. George Floyd lost his life in an unimaginable way. This event and so many others continue to highlight the ongoing and longstanding racial injustices across our nation and has left many of us feeling sad, angry, and unsure of how to move forward. All this while we […]

Dear AAS members, Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Association for Academic Surgery will be offering our 2020 Fall Courses in an online, virtual format this year. We are disappointed that we cannot gather in person this year, but the committees and leaders who plan and organize these Courses are committed to embracing this […]

At least once a week, when I get to the part in my informed consent discussion where I tell a person that they are at a teaching institution, someone gets a very concerned look in their eye and says something like, “But you’re the one holding the knife and actually doing my surgery? I don’t […]

The spring of 2020 has brought forth unprecedented changes in the way we both live and work.  The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our daily lives and for most of us, upended our daily workflow.  As a clinically busy endocrine surgeon with an academic focus on global surgery, all aspects of my work have been affected.  […]

#AASChat questions What is the status of didactic instruction at your institution for medical students and residents? What platforms are you using to deliver didactic instruction? How have you adapted clinical education and skills training for your medical students and surgical residents? What lessons have you learned in your transition to remote learning? What aspects […]

OK, so I realize I already quoted this Doors song in my first blog post in 2016.  No,…I’m not a Doors fanatic.  But I ask you, are there more apt words to describe the times we are currently living in than those from ‘Strange Days’?: “Strange days have found us. Strange days have tracked us […]