Second-year medical student Zach Burns (far right) and Dr. Rob Headrick from CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee (far left), discuss policy with Congressman Gary Palmer (center) from Alabama's sixth district at the June 11 STS Legislative Fly-in.

Second-year UAB medical student Zach Burns, president of UAB’s Surgery Interest Group and mentee of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery’s Robert Dabal, M.D., and Sara Pereira, M.D., attended the annual Society for Thoracic Surgeons’ Legislative Fly-in in Washington, D.C., last week after being awarded the STS Advocacy Scholarship.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. (third from left), receives the STS Legislator of the Year Award at the June 2018 STS Legislative Fly-in, alongside Dr. Rob Headrick (far left), Dr. Alan Speir (second from left), Dr. Stephen J. Lahey (third from right), Zach Burns (second from right) and Dr. Judy Tingley (far right).

The STS Legislative Fly-in is an annual event that seeks to update participants on policy issues specific to cardiothoracic surgery and offer meetings with lawmakers to discuss how those issues could impact patient care. Students, residents, fellows and surgeons from all over the country come to the annual event to advocate for cardiothoracic surgery and help advance specific legislative concerns this session. Burns’ scholarship covered round-trip airfare to Washington, D.C., and hotel accommodations for his stay.

View photos from the event here.

See also: Resident gets scholarship, attends STS Legislative Fly-in