Roughly 200 UAB Surgery faculty, staff and trainees attended the department’s 2018 holiday party on Saturday, Dec. 15, at Old Overton Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Those who attended the annual event said they enjoyed dressing up and getting to know one another over food, drinks and music, outside of their workplaces.

Trainees snag selfies with Bland, Urist

UAB Surgery residents and fellows also used the 2018 holiday party to try to score selfies with two surgery veterans and departmental celebrities, Kirby I. Bland, M.D., and Marshall Urist, M.D. In recent years, our residents and fellows have begun the trend of taking selfies and other kinds of photos with Bland and Urist at Department of Surgery events such as the annual holiday party and the annual cocktail reception at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress.

UAB pediatric surgery fellow Alicia Waters, M.D., has been taking selfies with Urist and Bland since she was a general surgery resident at UAB.

“I’m really not sure where or when the trend started,” Waters said. “I took my first selfie with Dr. Urist and Dr. Bland at a conference in 2015 and have just continued to do it when I see them.”

Residents and fellows compare their photo collections of Urist and Bland, who are always game to smile for a selfie with them.

“They are always great sports about it,” Waters said. “I think it shows that, while they are amazing surgeons and educators, they like to have fun with the residents and fellows, as well.”

If you have any photos with Bland or Urist you’d like to share, tweet them at us by mentioning @UABSurgery.