The ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators™ virtual Fireside Chat Series connects you with experts for an open dialog driven by audience questions.
Dr. Scott-Conner discusses her career path and important lessons learned. As a mentor, teacher, advisor, medical writer, editor, and leader in surgical education, she has much to share!
About the Speakers
Carol E.H. Scott-Conner, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, MAMSE, is professor emeritus and chair emeritus of the department of surgery at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City.
She received her undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from MIT, and subsequently worked in the Electronics Research Laboratory of GT&E before medical school. She received her medical degree from New York University, completing her surgical residency there in 1981. During her first academic appointment at Marshall University School of Medicine, she began work on her PhD, completing that degree while on the faculty at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. She subsequently earned an MBA and a graduate certificate in Narrative Healthcare. She is currently enrolled in a master of arts in creative writing program at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Dr. Scott-Conner is a founding member of the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, she has received numerous other teaching awards, including the Jeffrey L. Ponsky Master Educator Award from SAGES, the Regents Award for Faculty Excellence, and designation as a "Living Legend" by the American Medical Women's Association, to name a few. She has held leadership positions in national organizations, including the Board of Governors of the ACS.
After years of active participation in a number of editorial boards, she retains membership in just three: the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, the American Journal of Surgery, and The American Surgeon. A founding editor of The Examined Life Literary Journal of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, she currently serves as fiction editor. She is the author or editor of 10 surgical textbooks, including a series of monographs on various aspects of medical writing. Most of these have gone into numerous editions and translations and several have won awards. She has also authored a book of short stories, A Few Small Moments, in which she explores the space between surgeon and patient.
In 1999, Dr. Scott-Conner began the first of a long series of committee involvements through the Institute of Medicine (now NASEM) in an advisory capacity to NASA for various issues surrounding astronaut healthcare. These culminated in numerous reports and ultimate appointment as chair of a standing committee. She currently serves as a member on the NASEM Committee on Assessment of Strategies for Managing Cancer Risks Associated with Radiation Exposure During Crewed Space Missions.
Dr. Scott-Conner is married to her husband of 46 years, Harry F. Conner, MD, MPH.
The host for the Fireside Chat is Mohsen M. Shabahang, MD, PhD, FACS, chair of the Geisinger Surgery Institute, Danville, PA, and director of general surgery residency. Dr. Shabahang joined Geisinger in July 2010 as the director of the department of general surgery and director of the general surgery residency program at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville. Dr. Shabahang is Chair of the Subcommittee on Novel Teaching and Assessment Methods and Educational Resources for the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.
Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, FSACME, Director of the ACS Division of Education and Co-Chair, Steering Committee of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, will give welcoming remarks.
About the Series
The ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators Fireside Chat Series was developed as an outcome of discussions of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators Special Committee to Address Challenges and Opportunities Relating to Surgery Residency Training during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The committee was charged to address the challenges faced by educators and to harness innovative opportunities in surgical education. The Fireside Chat Series will enable programs and their learners to have access to valuable talks and discussions with experts both in a synchronous and asynchronous manner.
If you have questions about the series, please contact ACSAcademy@facs.org.
