education
Issues faced by the female surgical trainees in developing countries
By Dr. Eshana Samaranayake Across South Asia, women are still a small minority in surgical training programmes, and that imbalance shapes daily experiences in ways that are easy to miss from the outside. ‘‘Surgery is for men’’ I have wanted to become a surgeon since high school, but when I prepared for the entrance exam I heard frequent warnings from family, friends, and colleagues. Much of it was well-meant, yet it rested on an assumption: surgery is too demanding for women to balance with personal life, especially where women are expected to carry most household responsibilities. Those expectations sometimes made me doubt myself, not because I lacked interest or motivation, but because I wondered how I would fit into a role society does not always picture for women. I feel fortunate to have been selected for surgical training, and I am now in my third year of general surgery residency....
Scrubbed in for the ABSITE: Webinar Highlights
Authors: Natalia Correa MD, Alizeh Abbas MD, Camila R. Guetter MD MPH, Nensi Ruzgar MD This blog summarizes key advice, tools, and resources discussed in the AWS Resident & Fellow Committee webinar “Scrubbed for the ABSITE”. What is the ABSITE? The American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) is an annual test taken by all general surgery residents across the United States. It is a four-hour, computer-based exam of approximately 250 multiple-choice questions spanning the breadth of general surgery. Recent change to ABSITE Score Reports Historically, ABSITE scores were reported percentiles; however, recently, the ABSITE has shifted to reporting only raw scores, expressed as the percentage of questions answered correctly. This change encourages emphasis on personal improvement rather than comparison and competition. While this may decrease anxiety around small fluctuations, longitudinal performance still matters. Programs expect residents to maintain or improve their score percentage over time and programs set certain...
Bridging the Gap: Female Surgeons in Malawi and the Power of Representation
By Dr. Sharon Cheryl Bonya Female surgical trainees face structural and cultural barriers that extend far beyond the operating room. They are not just training to master technical skills, they are also navigating expectations, isolation, and leadership in spaces where their presence still surprises many. In Malawi and across much of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), female surgeons face a double burden: under-representation within the surgical workforce and the cultural headwinds that make leadership, mentorship, and progression more difficult. Despite recent gains in training capacity in East, Central and Southern Africa, women surgeons remain a minority with implications for patient trust, communication, and equitable access to surgical care. According to the NHS workforce data, women make up about 17% of general surgery consultants in the United Kingdom. In the United States, women account for roughly 22.6% of general surgeons, based on figures from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). These numbers...
The Power of Social Media for Premedical and Medical Mentorship
By Ashley Cianchini In Medicine, mentors become the most important asset to thrive. The mentors we make along the way provide the most powerful insight on experiences they lived to keep us focused and motivated. Students without mentors often feel lost and have difficulty persevering through the biggest challenges in Medicine. Sadly, the traditional mentorship experience through shadowing, physician family members, or undergraduate experiences may often be inaccessible for some students, specifically underrepresented minorities and first-generation students. These students often become the first in their families to graduate high school or college. The dream of becoming a physician can feel extremely unachievable. Only 5.8% of the physicians in the United States are Latino, and only 5% are Black. This creates barriers for students with similar backgrounds, who struggle to identify with other physicians. Coming from a small school in the middle of Puerto Rico, it was difficult for me to...
Doctors Need to Give Better Talks: How the Signature Speaker Series Can Help
by Nimmi S. Kapoor, MD, FACS Doctors give the worst talks. Now I understand why it is hard for me to stay awake, pay attention, and understand the point of all these talks at all these conferences I go to, and it’s not just because my phone is too distracting. Indeed, my phone distraction has spared me from some of the dreadfully boring talks I have been subjected to year after year. The Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) Signature Speaker series helped me realize why and how some talks hit the mark, while most others don’t. The lessons learned from this experience were transformative for me. I was able to move past my own anxiety with speaking—I tend to have a bit of a shake in my voice at the beginning of every talk—and learn the tools to give a meaningful, impactful talk. Our Motivational Speaker and Instructor, Patrick Combs,...
Stitch by Stitch
By Tala AbedalqaderI’ve always found a certain sense of purpose in using my hands. Whether it’s an embroidery thread sliding through fabric or suture material passing through layers of skin, I found that there’s a rhythm and purpose that drives me. Whether it’s art or surgery, my hands are driven by the same intention – to create and repair.Crocheting, embroidery, and sketching were creative outlets I picked up in medical school that gave me a sense of peace and the opportunity to relieve stress. As I grew more interested in surgery, I started to notice how these hobbies weren’t just therapeutic, but they were also shaping my skills in meaningful ways. The dexterity I harbored from manipulating threaded needles and hooks granted me with fine motor skills that I would use, first in simulation, then in the operating room. Similarly, sketching proved to be an excellent and highly useful skill...
A Love Letter to PM Rounds
By Aparna Ragupathi*All names have been changed for patient and staff privacy It’s 4:12 PM when I leave the PACU. One of the chaplains in the hallway smiles at me, and I realize I’m still wearing my OR bonnet. I take it off and toss it in the trash can by the security desk. On my phone, I scroll past the class group chat notifications and Uber Eats deals to find what I’m looking for.A text message. “PM rounding on 5T,” one of the surgical floors at our hospital.I trade my phone for the folded patient list in my back pocket. The elevator beams me up to 5 Tower and I find my residents in front of room 6. The fishbones on Jamie’s list have numbers now, which feels like a full tank of gas. We meet Carter in room 6, Jeannine's brother. He brightens up when we tell him...
As a female surgeon, can I actually have a child-and when?
by Dr. Deepa Patel This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Female surgeons serving a dual role as mothers are no longer a rarity, as over one third of us have a child during residency. Despite these statistics, I continue to hear that many female medical students avoid careers in surgery as they think that pursuing such a career would hinder their ability to have children. Hearing these concerns surprises me. I have always considered my career a top priority but did know that at some point, I also wanted children. I never considered these goals in opposition. As a young attending about to have her first child within 2 years of finishing a colorectal fellowship, I have found that balancing pregnancy with a career is possible-but needs to be...
Breaking Barriers: Women in Cardiac Surgery
This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. By Dr. Hina Inam "Women cannot be cardiac surgeons. We have bets on when you will leave." These were the words of an attending, said just a few days after I joined the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency. I was stepping into a field where women were a rare sight, and the expectation was clear—I would not last. But I was determined to prove them wrong. I worked hard, showed what I was made of, and ultimately became the first female cardiac surgeon to graduate from my institute. It wasn’t just about proving myself; it was about paving the way for those who would follow. Since then, the landscape has started to shift. Dr. Sara Iqbal became the second female cardiac surgeon to graduate from...
Food for Thought – Culinary Adventures in Medical School
By Gizelle Francis Medical school is notorious for its long hours, relentless studying, and the ever-present pressure to perform. Amidst this, finding time for hobbies can seem almost impossible. For me, however, cooking and baking have become more than just hobbies—they are a sanctuary. As a medical student, I discovered that the kitchen offers a creative outlet that balances the intensity of my studies while nurturing a deeper connection to my well-being. Cooking as an Art and Science For me, cooking isn’t just about putting food on the table; it’s an art form and a science, much like medicine. There’s a certain satisfaction in transforming raw ingredients into a meal that not only nourishes, but also brings people together. The same meticulousness that I apply to learning anatomy or understanding complex surgical procedures translates into my approach to cooking. Each ingredient has a role, and it’s fascinating how a little...
