Congratulations to the UAB Department of Surgery Breast Surgical Oncology Fellow Polina Zmijewski, M.D., M.A., for her acceptance into the 2023-2024 Surgical Educational Research Fellowship (SERF) through the Association for Surgical Education.

The SERF program is a one-year fellowship designed to train researchers in planning, implementing, and reporting academic surgery research.

Each fellow is matched with a knowledgeable researcher to act as their SERF advisor, selected by the SERF faculty. Advisors will serve as mentors and consultants for students.

Dr. Zmijewski will gain new knowledge relevant to surgical education along with developing specialized skills at her home institution.

"I feel so privileged to have been chosen for this opportunity to expand my knowledge of surgical education research design and methodology. I hope to take the skills I will learn back to UAB to benefit my home institution and our own incredible community of learners,” says
Dr. Zmijewski.

About the Association for Surgical Education

The Association for Surgical Education’s mission is to lead surgical education through innovation, scholarship and professional development.

As an organization, they continue to advocate for diversity and inclusion not only in the medical profession but also in society at large by speaking out against inequality and injustice.