GI Surgery Summit white paper: recruiting and training the next generation of surgeons

Jenny H Chang; Kelsey Romatoski; Madeline B Torres; Cyrus John Sholevar; Brenessa Lindeman; Cameron Gaskill; Callisia N Clark; Flavio Rocha; Taylor S Riall; Jennifer F Tseng; Jennifer S Davids; Timothy M Pawlik; R Matthew Walsh

doi:10.1016/j.gassur.2024.101896

GI Surgery Summit white paper: recruiting and training the next generation of surgeons

J Gastrointest Surg. 2024 Nov 21:101896. doi: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.101896. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Cleveland Clinic, Department of Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland, OH, United States. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.
³ Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.
⁴ Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, United States.
⁵ Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
⁶ Division of Surgical Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States.
⁷ Department of Surgical Oncology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.
⁸ Department of Surgery, The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ, United States.
⁹ Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.
¹⁰ Department of Surgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.
¹¹ Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States.
¹² Cleveland Clinic, Department of Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland, OH, United States.

PMID: 39580020
DOI: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.101896

Abstract

Background: There is an ongoing debate on surgical training and its evolution to meet the demands of a complex and changing healthcare environment.

Methods: A GI Surgery Summit was held in January 2024 that included prominent leaders and rising talents from the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Society of Surgical Oncology, Association for Academic Surgery, and Society of University Surgeons. This meeting was held to address the multifaceted current and future challenges of surgery.

Results: This paper addresses the topic of recruitment and training of the next generation of surgeons in the United States and abroad and reflects a collective focus on surgical education to ensure the delivery of high-quality care in an increasingly sophisticated medical and surgical landscape.

Conclusion: The discussions and recommendations from the 2024 GI Surgery Summit underscore the crucial need to support diversity, embrace innovative educational frameworks, build a robust global surgical workforce, and foster a culture of wellness and support. Focusing on these key areas ensures that the future leaders of surgery are not only skilled and knowledgeable but also resilient and compassionate, ready to meet the evolving challenges of the healthcare landscape.

Keywords: Diversity; General surgery residency; Global surgery; Surgical education; Wellness.