Background: The New England Surgical Society (NESS) has been a pillar of the regional medical community since 1916, founded to promote surgical knowledge sharing across a small but diverse geographical region. Annual podium awards recognize high-quality research by surgical trainees.
Design: We described trends among 81 research abstracts and career trajectories for their trainee authors (1987-present).
Results: Among abstracts, 80.2% were clinical research, 12.3% basic science, and 7.4% education. 87.6% resulted in publications. Awardees represented 19 institutions and were predominantly residents (74.0%), with the remainder being fellows and students. 71.4% are now practicing attendings in 14 surgical subspecialties while 18.2% remain in surgical training. 44.2% currently reside in New England.
Conclusion: NESS attracts a range of high-quality research and winners demonstrate a range of successful careers with a propensity for academic surgery. Findings of low attrition and many currently living in New England highlight the value of regional conferences for strengthening local professional connections.
Keywords: academic research; gender parity; graduate medical education; regional conference; resident awards; surgery.