Committee on Academic Advancement Self Nomination for Tien Vo

Earlier this year, I attended my first surgical research conference at ASC 2024, where I presented research done through a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin and the Hawassa University Hospital in Ethiopia. Since my involvement in this research project and the opportunity to hear from surgeons at ASC, I have been eager to deepen my understanding of global and academic surgery.

My experiences as the Director of Development for my medical school's free clinic system and co-leader of the Global Health and Surgery interest groups have allowed me to demonstrate my passion for engaging future healthcare providers through community and academic collaboration. These opportunities have taught me the invaluableness of equitable relationships between organizations, prospective academic surgeons, and current leaders of the field.

As a medical student and committee member, I hope to engage in discourse that advances the field of surgery by promoting sustainable partnerships, building relationships between educational institutions, and leading organizational changes that allow for greater diversity and inclusion among current and future academic surgeons. It would be my honor to serve as an AAS committee member to advance future and current academic surgeons through education, joint effort, and outreach.