resources
Financial Planning Considerations for Surgical Trainees: Webinar Highlights
Authors: Camila R. Guetter, MD MPH*; Rachel E. Mooney, MD*; Alizeh Abbas, MD; Kylie Dickerson, MD *Indicates co-first authors. This blog summarizes key advice and resources from the AWS Webinar on Financial Planning, held on April 9th, 2026, and co-hosted by the Resident & Fellow and the Medical Student Committees. You can find the recording for this webinar here. Building Good Habits and Budgeting as a Medical Student or Resident From college to medical school to residency, each stage of training brings a new financial reality requiring different strategies and habits. Medical students often carry loan balances that only grow, while residents navigate, in many cases, their first paycheck and the challenge of dividing income between fixed expenses, personal wants, and savings. One of the most powerful habits trainees can build is automating their finances. Setting up automatic transfers to savings, loan payments, and retirement contributions eliminates guesswork and protects...
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...
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...
Parental Leave in Surgical Training: Webinar Highlights
Authors: Kylie Dickerson, MD, MS; Nensi Ruzgar, MD; Camila R. Guetter, MD, MPH; Alizeh Abbas, MD; Maria S. Altieri, MD, MS In March 2025, the Association of Women Surgeons Resident and Fellow Committee hosted a discussion on Parental Leave in Surgical Training. The session began with a presentation by Dr. Maria Altieri, Section Chief of GI Surgery and Director of Bariatric Surgery, Pennsylvania Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania, who has published multiple papers on parental leave policies during surgical training. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session with a panel of trainees who shared their experiences related to childbearing during clinical residency or dedicated research time, being a non-birthing parent, and exploring adoption. The goals of the webinar were to discuss different pathways to childbearing and parental leave policies during surgical training. Dr. Altieri discussed her personal experiences with childbearing during different phases of training, from medical school...
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,...
Applying the Growth Mindset in Surgery
By Fara Bellows In surgery, the only constant is change. With each passing milestone in our careers, we encounter new challenges, new demands, and new surroundings. We also face novelty within clinical medicine: the literature is always growing, new technologies and techniques arise, and practice changes can seemingly come out of nowhere. Surgeons tend to be perfectionists. We strive to do our best and to deliver exceptional patient care. But we are human, and as humans, we are never perfect at something the first time we do it. So it can be difficult to stray from our comfort zone and incorporate new techniques into our toolbox, perhaps due to fear of failure or fear of the unknown. It can also be painful to experience patient-related complications and struggle with learning curves. However, we cannot shy away from novel therapies or ideas. We must embrace novelty: a successful career relies on...
Preserving Hobbies
by Olivia T. Zhou To me, the age-old adage of “you can’t pour from an empty cup” holds especially true today. Medicine is a deeply meaningful but often all-consuming career. The intensity of training, long hours, and emotional demands can easily displace relationships, hobbies, and interests that once brought joy and balance. Because of these challenges, maintaining a connection to a life outside of medicine is particularly essential. Hobbies can offer space for self-expression, stress relief, and identity beyond our professional roles as physicians. Most of us know that participating in creative or physical activities can improve well-being, build resilience, and reduce burnout, but we often struggle with consistency and upkeep. However, even a modest investment can provide noticeable benefits. Here are some strategies that have helped me preserve my hobbies throughout my training so far: Schedule dedicated time: Blocking off regular time for a hobby, just like scheduling other...
To Come Out (Again) or Not? A Surgeon’s Reflections on Identity in the Workplace
This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Association of Out Surgeons and Allies in celebration of Pride Month.By Dr. Kayleigh M. Herrick-Reynolds As I am speed-rounding to get to the OR on time, my patient catches a glimpse of my wedding ring and asks, “Is your husband a doctor too?” This question—a genuine interest in my life and a plea for the normalcy of casual conversation as I wake them at 6:00 a.m—is also just the first of many times that day I will have to choose how to answer.Surgical training requires intense focus, commitment, resilience, and sacrifice. For anyone who does not fit the stereotype of “surgeon” or who holds a non-traditional identity, the mental choreography of deciding how much of ourselves to share in the workplace adds a layer of stress to an already high-stakes job. Particularly as a trainee, the rigid hierarchy...
What Does it Mean to be an Advocate? Reflections from the ACS Leadership and Advocacy Summit 2025
By Shannon F.R. Small, MD, FACS The word “advocate” can mean a variety of things, especially within the medical field. Most commonly, patients are asked to designate their own advocate, someone to speak for them. Hospitals may employ dedicated advocates to aid patients in navigating the complex medical system. Medical staff may ask for representatives to serve as advocates towards hospital leadership. I consider myself an advocate for my patients, for the students and residents I mentor, and for my colleagues. Recently, I discovered a new dimension of advocacy when I attended my first American College of Surgeons’ Leadership and Advocacy Summit. This annual meeting brings together medical students, residents, and attending surgeons from across the country for sessions focused on leadership development and health policy. The Summit culminates in a visit to Capitol Hill, where each state delegation meets with congressional representatives to discuss key legislative priorities supported by...
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...
