Highlights from the November Annual Academic Surgery Conference

from Surgical News volume 22 issue 1

Good reads

The Section of Academic Surgery and Surgical Research Society of Australasia Annual Conference was held as a virtual event on 5 November 2020. The compact one-day conference showcased the breadth and depth of research undertaken by medical students, junior house officers, trainees and Fellows.

This high-quality, ongoing research will almost certainly pave the way for improved surgical practice and patient outcomes. Registration for the day exceeded expectations with 243 registrations covering both the morning and afternoon sessions.

The November Annual Academic Surgery Conference continues to grow and improve year-on-year, both in terms of the content and the amount and calibre of research being conducted in Australia and New Zealand. We were extremely pleased by the quality and number of abstracts submitted, which totalled 105. The abstract judging panel was hard pressed to arrive at the final 40 entrants selected to present on the day, with a further 20 offered the opportunity to present an e-poster. The morning session for the Section of Academic Surgery (SAS) started with an update on the Clinical Trials Network Australia and New Zealand (CTANZ) by Professor David Watson, followed by the Association for Academic Surgery (USA) Best Abstract Winner, Dr Sarah Tevis from the University of Colorado, speaking on opioid over-prescription in breast surgery. The next session, on ‘Global Surgery and Equity of Care’, included a brief exploration into climate change followed by a panel session with special guests Dr Sarah Tevis, Professor Allan Tsung, Dr Jean-Frederic Levesque and Dr Bridget Clancy. Attendees then heard an inspiring keynote presentation by Professor Allan Tsung from Ohio State University on how to ‘Maintain the Passion’, highlighting the importance of curiosity, perseverance and adaptability. The final session explored training surgeons for the future. This year’s Jepson Lecture was presented by distinguished surgeon and immediate past Chair for the Academic Surgery Committee, Professor Mark Smithers from the University of Queensland. Professor Smithers provided the inspiring advice to focus on what information and skills you ‘scatter’ rather than those that you ‘gather’ throughout your life. The afternoon session for the Surgical Research Society of Australasia provided ample opportunity for presenters to demonstrate the variety and depth of research being conducted in Australia and New Zealand. The future of research in academic surgery is in good hands, judging by the calibre of the winning presentations. Dr Brodie Elliott (JDoc) won the Young Investigator Award, while the DCAS Award was presented to surgical Trainee Dr Georgina Riddiough. Four Travel Grants were awarded. They went to Ms Sita Tarini Clark (Honours medical student), Dr Paul Heitmann (SET Trainee), Dr Chen Liu (SET Trainee) and Mr Chris Varghese (Honours medical student). The feedback from attendees indicated that presentations were well-received, with most rated as very good to excellent. We would like to thank Medtronic for their continuing support of the SAS’s activities and also thank all the contributors. We hope 2021 will see a return to in-person Academic Surgery and Surgical Research Society meetings, although we have gained many new insights from hosting a virtual meeting.

Professor Greg O’Grady Chair, Surgical Research Society of Australasia Professor Marc Gladman Chair, Academic Surgery Committee