Numerous members of the UAB Department of Surgery attended the annual Surgical Education Week meeting in San Diego, California, from April 13-15, 2023.

A collaboration between the Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) and the Association for Surgical Education (ASE), the week offered a wealth of panels, poster sessions, and supplemental sessions for attendees. Several UAB Surgery residents, fellows, and faculty members actively participated in conference proceedings from presentations to leading workshops and were elected to national office.

“The Department of Surgery certainly demonstrated its dedication to innovation and continued growth in surgical education,” says Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery Associate Professor and Education Vice Chair Dr. Brenessa Lindeman. “I am proud of the representation we had at this year’s conference and look forward to the continued momentum we’ll have next year and beyond.”

Department Participation

Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Professor and Director of Education Dr. Kimberly Hendershot was elected to serve as ASE Foundation Secretary and ascended to serve as Chair of the ASE Graduate Surgical Education Committee, after two years of service as Vice Chair.

Current General Surgery Resident Dr. Kelsey Montgomery received the Association of Program Directors in Surgery Best Resident Paper Award for her presentation “Decision-Making Confidence of Clinical Competency Committees with Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA): Results from the American Board of Surgery Pilot Study.”

Current Breast Surgical Oncology Fellow and upcoming Endocrine Surgery Fellow Dr. Polina Zmijewski delivered a presentation regarding the evaluation disparities in the surgical clerkship process, “If I Don’t See Me, Am I Seen?”, whose senior author was Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery Assistant Professor Dr. Jessica Fazendin. Dr. Zmijewski also received one of the four awarded Surgical Education (ASE) Posters of Distinction designation for her presentation “Gender and Operative Experience in General Surgery Residency Training: A Qualitative Review.”

Dr. Brenessa Lindeman led the workshop “Fitting into the Workflow: Nuts and Bolts of EPA Assessments” and participated in two panels regarding EPA updates, including the opening session entitled “Ready or Not: EPAs in General Surgery Residency.”

Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Associate Professor and Program Director of the General Surgery Residency Program Dr. Britney Corey also moderated the APDS Quickshot Paper Presentations and the ASE Trainee Quickshot Session for Clerkships.

Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery Assistant Professor Dr. Andrea Gillis attended the workshop “Troubleshooting Your Clerkship.”