Association of Women Surgeons to host mixer on leadership March 9

March 6, 2017 | Events, UToday, Medicine and Life Sciences
By Madison Vasko



Through membership and programming, the Association of Women Surgeons strives to engage female surgeons to realize their goals and empower them to exceed and excel in their profession.

“Nationally, every surgery department has put emphasis on gender equity and increasing diversity. At Toledo, we are equally committed to increasing diversity in our department. We have tried this through support of the medical student chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons and the expansion of this chapter to an institutional membership,” said Brianna Slatnick, founding member of the UT medical student chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons.

The UT chapter was formally recognized in spring 2016. Since its founding, the chapter has focused on growing the organization and hosting events that promote diversity in surgery.

“This work takes great effort. We are fortunate to have membership and leadership at all levels, including students, residents and faculty,” Slatnick added.

To continue to promote this cooperation between students and leaders in the medical community, and in honor of Women’s History Month, the UT medical student chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons will host a mentorship mixer.

“This mixer aims to cultivate strong mentoring relationships between students, residents and faculty and to empower female surgeons in our community,” Slatnick said.

Brunicardi

The mixer will feature a presentation on leadership by Dr. F. Charles Brunicardi, UT professor and chair of the Department of Surgery.

“We are fortunate to have Dr. Brunicardi who has written nationally recognized work on this topic,” Slatnick said. “We will be using the framework he has developed on leadership training in surgery for example: creating a vision, and effective methods of communication and conflict resolution. He is an outstanding educator and mentor, and has received numerous awards for diversity and gender equity. He has been monumental as a mentor in helping me build my own vision for my future surgical career. We are thrilled to have him.”

Brunicardi was a professor and chair at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and came to Toledo from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles.

“Brianna has decided that the topic of the next Association of Women Surgeons session will be leadership training in surgery, and we are collaborating to develop an interesting mini-symposium on the poignant topic,” Brunicardi said. “I am looking forward to collaborating with Brianna on her vision of presenting the leadership principles of surgical education to the UT chapter.”

The mixer will take place Thursday, March 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Social Gastropub at the Gateway, 1440 Secor Road. The event is open to all female residents, attendings and medical students who aspire to pursue a career in surgery.

Those interested in learning more about the UT medical student chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons may contact the organization at utcomaws@gmail.com.

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