A s s o c i a t i o n f o r A c a d e m i c S u r g e r y • Fa l l 2 0 0 7

Ne w sl e t te r
Pr e si de n t s M e s s ag e
Dr. Fiemu Nwariaku
I would like to formally thank all the faculty and registrants who made our fall courses a huge success.
Over 180 surgeons and trainees participated in both the 18th Fundamentals of Surgical Research
Course and 3rd Annual Career Development Course in New Orleans. We received great comments
from attendees, and plan to incorporate these suggestions into future courses. We are thankful to the many
invited speakers who took time from their schedules to present superb talks and interact with faculty and
fellows at both courses. We are also grateful to our corporate sponsors and fundraiser Ms. Teresa Chien for
the generous financial support for the fall courses.

In collaboration with the SUS and the American College of Surgeons, bids are being taken for the
development and production of an educational DVD to recruit medical students and surgical residents
Dr. Fiemu Nwariaku to academic surgical careers. Although the AAS continues to enjoy strong membership (over 2600 total
members as of September 2007) this initiative will be important to recruit new members from our trainee
pool. We anticipate that production and distribution will be complete next year.

Abstract selection is complete for the Academic Surgical Congress in February 2008, and I would like to
In this Issue congratulate all of you who submitted abstracts to that meeting. We are delighted to report record abstract
submission, 410 abstracts to the AAS, for a 22% increase from 2007. We also received 18 international
President’s Message abstracts. Overall, 665 abstracts were submitted to the 2008 ASC. The quality of abstracts was excellent
1 and I anticipate another outstanding meeting in 2008.
2007 AAS Fall Courses I am also pleased to note that the AAS continues to enjoy a positive and strong relationship with the
1 Journal of Surgical Research. The JSR will continue to publish AAS abstracts from the annual meeting and
AAS Member Elected provides expedited review of our manuscripts. This is particularly important for young academic surgeons
Vice President of Guatemala because the impact factor continues to increase (from 1.956 in 2005 to 2.038 in 2006).

2 Lastly, the AAS Foundation, under the guidance of Dr. Dana Andersen, has worked very hard to develop
AAS Elections 2008 ways to increase the financial corpus of the AAS Foundation. This will give our organization the financial
flexibility in the future to support many more programs including Research Awards, etc. In this vein, the AAS
3 Executive Council approved the transfer of funds to the AAS Foundation, which will invest these funds in a
3rd Annual ASC manner designed to maximize our returns. This initiative will shorten the time required for the Foundation to
4 accumulate sufficient funds to allow the AAS to accomplish its goals. In addition, I would urge all members to
contribute to the Foundation as much as they can, as often as they can. Happy Holidays!
AAS Research
Fellowship Award 2 0 0 7 AAS Fa l l C o u r s e s
5 A Recipe for Success
Additional
Close to 150 attendees descended upon the Intercontinental Hotel in New Orleans to attend the 2007 AAS
Funding Resources
Career Development Course and Fundamentals of Surgical Research Course. This number has increased
5 since last year and the AAS expects to have even more registered for next year’s courses.
AAS & WACS
The Fall Courses provided valuable resources and information relevant to all those interested in further
Fundamentals of Surgical
pursuing a career as an academic surgeon. The courses featured lectures on topics such as abstract writing,
Research & Career
delivering an effective research presentation, topics in clinical research and molecular biology, choosing and
Development Course
negotiating for an academic job, developing an academic program, leading a lab and effective grant writing.
5
Continued…

World-renowned
heart surgeon
Dr. Rafael Espada
has made history by
becoming the first
physician elected
Vice President of
Guatemala!
AAS IT
C o mm i t t e e
R equ e st i ng
Histor ic a l
I n for m at ion
The AAS Information and
Technology Committee is in the
process of preserving the history
of the AAS and would like to
include any and all historical
information on the AAS website.
The committee is requesting any
pictures, informal presidential
address notes or documents you
feel demonstrate how the society
has progressed over the years.
Please send this information to
the AAS office and please contact
the AAS office if you have any
questions. The IT Committee
appreciates your help!
The AAS sincerely appreciates all of its faculty and attendees for contributing to this meeting. AAS extends
a special thank you to its Corporate Supporters for their generous donations to the 2007 courses:
Premier Supporter Primary Supporter Patron Supporter
Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. Ethicon, Inc. Cryolife, Inc
Pfizer W.L. Gore & Associates
The Association for Academic Surgery acknowledges the National Institute of General Medical Sciences
(NIGMS) for its ongoing support of the FSRC.
AAS M e m b e r E l e c t e d
V ic e Pr e si de n t of Guat e m a l a
GUATEMALA CITY – World-renowned heart surgeon Dr. Rafael
Espada has made history by becoming the first physician elected Vice
President of Guatemala. President-elect Alvaro Colom, with
Dr. Espada as his running mate, won yesterday’s presidential run-off
after earning more than 52.7 percent of the country’s votes. The two
will take office January 14, 2008.
A native of Guatemala, Dr. Espada has practiced for more than 30
years as a heart surgeon in Houston. He most recently was Deputy
Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Methodist DeBakey Heart
Center at The Methodist Hospital.
Dr. Espada’s decision to return to Guatemala stems from his continued
relationship with the country during his time in the United States.
While in Houston, he established Guatemala’s first cardiac hospital,
Unidad Cardiovascular, which has become the premier heart hospital
in Central America.
Dr. Rafael Espada
He also has traveled to Guatemala nearly every month over the last two
decades to perform free surgeries for numerous Guatemalan citizens. He routinely has advised Guatemalan
officials on a variety of healthcare and economic issues, including successfully mediating a strike between
the government and the country’s medical professionals.
Dr. Espada says his position of vice president will allow him to build on the economic development and
healthcare improvements he has been working on during his time in the United States.
“A great number of Guatemalans are living in poverty, and a great number are sick and dying,” says Dr.
Espada. “The two problems are not mutually exclusive, and solutions go hand-in-hand. If we can create jobs
and spur the economy, more people will be able to afford healthcare.”
Dr. Espada’s plan for economic development involves creating a strong, diversified economy by creating jobs
within the country and attracting more international business and investors.
“A safer, better educated country is the key to Guatemala’s economic success,” says the new Vice President.
“We hope to put an end to the violence and corruption that has plagued our country, which will make
Guatemala more attractive to foreign business.”
To tackle healthcare in Guatemala, Dr. Espada seeks to improve access to preventive medicine and clean
drinking water.
“The leading causes of death in Guatemala are not cancer, heart disease, or other similar conditions,”
the doctor says. “The illnesses killing this country are entirely preventable, and I want to make sure
Guatemalans have access to the treatment, medicine and water that can save their lives.”
Guatemala also suffers from one of the worst malnutrition rates in the world, with more than 50 percent of
the country’s children affected. Dr. Espada hopes to gain international support through the United Nations
and other health organizations to help combat the problem.
Dr. Espada earned his medical degree at the Universidad San Carlos in Guatemala City, and trained as a
heart surgeon under the famed Dr. Michael DeBakey in Houston.
2
 AAS E l e c t i o n 2 0 0 8
The AAS election process was revised last year largely as the initiative of our past President, Dr Siobhan Corbett. The goal of Dr. Corbett’s
initiative was to increase the transparency of the election process, thereby encouraging ALL members who may be interested to seek an
opportunity to participate on a committee, as a Councilor, or as an Officer. As might be expected, there were some logistical difficulties
in implementing the new process, but overall the new changes were very well received by the membership. Over the past year the
Executive Council has been working to revise and improve our election process for the upcoming business meeting; specifically,
Dr. Rebecca Minter has taken an initiative in this regard. The following is an outline of the present plan.

Committee Participation by Appointment

Members of the Program Committee are appointed by the President of the AAS. The Program Committee members review abstracts
submitted to the Annual Meeting and design the program for the meeting in conjunction with the SUS Program Committee members.
The Program Committee also selects abstracts and presentations eligible for awards and reviews manuscripts submitted to the Journal of
Surgical Research. Interested members can send an abbreviated CV along with a brief description of their area of specialty directly to the
AAS President for consideration.

Committee Participation by Election

New members of the other six committees will be elected at the business meeting. Three members of the Nominating Committee will be
nominated from the floor of the business meeting and elected by the membership to a one year term. The committees for Information/
Technology, Issues, Education, Membership, and Leadership will be elected from those who have nominated themselves through the on-
line application or at the business meeting. Descriptions of the committees’ functions and the expectations for participating members
will be posted on-line. Members who are able to fulfill the obligations for this service will be asked to submit a brief self-nomination
for their committee(s) of interest through the website. Each statement/nomination may not exceed a half-page. Candidates may apply
for more than one committee and will have to submit a separate self-nomination for each committee of interest. Two weeks prior to the
business meeting on-line self nominations will be closed, and the statements from the individuals running for these committees will be
circulated to all members by email.

At the business meeting a list of candidates and their statements will be provided to the membership to facilitate voting. Any candidates
present will be invited to introduce themselves and make a brief statement. Additional nominations from the floor will then be solicited.
Only self-nominations and statements will be allowed.

The membership will select the members for these committees in the following order: Information/Technology, Issues, Education,
Membership, and Leadership. If someone nominates themselves for several committees and is elected to one committee, they will be
removed from the candidate lists for the subsequent committee elections.

Election of Councilors
The Councilors sit on the Executive Council for a period of two years and are involved in important decision-making and
strategic planning for the AAS. Currently, there are 10 councilors, one elected from the membership classes who joined
in each of the past 10 years. As the position has a two year term, each year five new Councilors are elected. The
Councilor for the incoming new members is elected by mail ballot from three candidates selected by the Membership
Committee. Interested NEW members should contact the Chairman of the Membership Committee to express
their interest in representing their class as a Councilor. For the other years the candidates will be selected by the
Nominating Committee. This year, the AAS will contact members in eligible years to solicit interest. Those
who wish to apply for this position will submit their CVs on-line prior to the annual meeting. These
will be reviewed by the Nominating Committee, which will select three candidates from the
respondents who indicate that they are willing to take on this responsibility. In the spring, each
class will elect its Councilor from these three applicants.

Election of Officers
Officers will be elected at the annual business meeting from a slate of nominees selected by the
Nominating Committee or nominations that have come from the floor. Each year, election
is held for the President-elect. This year we will also be electing a new Secretary. Those
members who would like to serve as an Officer should send a detailed CV plus a statement of
interest to the AAS Management Company, who will forward the necessary information to
the Nominating Committee.

3
 3rd Annual
ACA DE MIC S U RGIC AL
C O NGR E S S
February 13-15, 2008
HyaĴ Regency Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, CA
Call (714) 698-1234 for reservations.

Be a Part of this Exciting Event!

• Scientic Sessions • AAS and SUS new member events
• Featured Lectures • Association of Women Surgeons
• Combined AAS and SUS Panel Program
Discussions • Social events oěering great
• Focused discussion groups networking opportunities

For support and exhibit information, contact ASC at 850-656-8848 or e-mail sandy.stevens@mgmtresources.org

www.AcademicSurgicalCongress.org
4

Visit us online at
AAS R e s e a r c h F e l l o w s h i p Awa r d
December 15, 2007
The intent of this award is to provide an eligible Resident or Fellow who has completed at least two
years of postgraduate training in a surgical discipline the opportunity to spend two years in full-time
research or clinical studies with an AAS member. The award of $15,000 per year for two years may be
used for salary support or for the direct-cost expenditures of the research. The award is to be expended
solely for the purpose of the sponsored research. Funding for the Award will begin July 1, 2008. The
deadline for RECEIPT of completed applications is December 15, 2007.

www.aasurg.org An application and more information can be found on the following website: www.aasurg.org/awards.htm

A ddit iona l F u n di ng R e sou rc e s

Off e r e d o n AAS W e b S i t e
The AAS office has compiled additional grant opportunities for those seeking funding for research,
fellowships, and projects in academic surgery or translational sciences. These opportunities are not
affiliated with AAS in any way. They are simply additional resources provided to AAS members and
other surgeon-scientists to assist in their professional development. Direct links to these resources
can be found on the AAS web site at: www.aasurg.org/resources.htm. If you would like more
information about these resources, please contact Teresa Chien at teresa@aasurg.org.
5

LEARNing OBJECTIVEs
At the conclusion of this course, the attendee will:
• Understand the principles of surgical research in the academic
environment of a developing country
• Describe the key activities of a successful surgeon scientist.
• Describe the essential points in a scientific abstract, paper, and
research application.
• Differentiate between outcomes, clinical, and education research.
• Describe the new molecular strategies that can be applied
towards surgical research
• Understand the various avenues for academic research
Association for Academic Surgery • Know how to balance clinical and research responsibilities
• Know how to set and achieve goals
The Inaugural • Know how to find an academic mentor
• Know how to become an effective mentor
Fundamentals of Surgical Research • Understand how to effectively manage your lab
• Understand the ethics of authorship

& Career Development Course • Understand how to prepare grants and biosketches
• Know how to become an effective teacher
• Know how to develop an academic portfolio
in Partnership with • Know how to build a peer network and develop international
collaborations to strengthen their academic programs
the West African College of Surgeons • Understand promotion and tenure criteria

Registration Information
Registration for this course is through the West African College of
Surgeons. Surgeons currently in practice in any West African country
(including consultants, residents, and fellows) are eligible to attend.
Registration is the universal price of US $50.00
February 10, 2008 • Payment will only be accepted in US currency.
• Course is opened to 60 participants and it is on a First Come First
Miatta Conference Center Served basis. Once there are 60 participants registration closes.
Freetown, Sierra Leone • No eligibility requirements. The course is opened for residents,
fellows, and consultants.
Immediately Preceding The 48th Annual Meeting Included with your registration fee:
of the West African College of Surgeons Entrance to the course, printed syllabus for the course, dinner
reception with faculty following the course, and all attendees will
For more information, please visit www.wacs-coac.org be presented a Certificate of Attendance.