The ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators™ virtual Fireside Chat Series connects you with experts for an open dialog driven by audience questions.
Dr. Sanfey was honored by the ACS Board of Regents as a "mentor, teacher, and trainer of the next generation of surgeons advocating for excellence in life-long high-quality surgical education." During this Fireside Chat, Dr. Sanfey discusses her storied career and the important lessons she learned along the way. A significant portion of the hour will be devoted to answering questions from the audience.
About the Speakers
Hilary A. Sanfey, MB BCh, MHPE, FACS, FRCSI(Hon), FRCSEd(Hon), MAMSE, is Emeritus Professor of Surgery at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, and underwent surgical training at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She completed fellowships in research at Johns Hopkins University, in solid organ transplantation at the University Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, and in hepatobiliary surgery at the University of Virginia (UVA). Dr. Sanfey was a consultant surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and a member of the team that performed the first liver transplant in Scotland. She returned to UVA in 1996 where she continued to practice as a transplant surgeon. In 2003, she was elected as a founding member of the UVA Academy of Distinguished Educators and in 2009, received a master’s degree in Health Professions Education from the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Sanfey has served as president of the International Society of Surgery U.S. Chapter and is a Fellow ad hominem of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
In October 2020, Dr. Sanfey received the 2020 Distinguished Service Award (DSA) of the ACS, the highest honor bestowed by the ACS. The ACS Board of Regents recognized Dr. Sanfey for “her exceptional and continuous service as a Fellow of the ACS and her leadership roles with the Scholarships Committee, the ACS Foundation Annual Giving and Communications Committee, and the Committee on Medical Student Education, as a specialty ACS Governor, as former First Vice President of the College, and as Chair of the Women in Surgery Committee.” The DSA citation also recognized Dr. Sanfey for “high standards of professionalism in patient care and towards colleagues, for attention to surgeon well-being and resilience and for development of equity, inclusion and opportunity for all surgeons in the profession regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or other personal characteristic.” It acknowledged Dr. Sanfey’s “natural leadership, integrity, vision, and steadfast commitment to the College’s initiatives and principles serving as a role model to surgeons everywhere to always do the right thing for patients.”
Dr. Sanfey is the recipient of the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) Nina Starr Braunwald Award. She is a past-president of the Association of Women Surgeons. Throughout her career, she has advocated for women to enjoy the full benefits of a career in surgery. She has helped women surgeons around the globe—including Japan, African nations, and Ireland—benefit from ACS scholarships and programs.
Dr. Sanfey serves as Co-Chair of the ACS Division of Education’s Certificate in Applied Surgical Education Leadership (CASEL) Program. In this role, she helped develop a program to advance surgeons as educators, ensuring the future of a well-trained and ethical surgical workforce. Dr. Sanfey is a founding member of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.
The host for the Fireside Chat is Mohsen M. Shabahang, MD, PhD, FACS, Chair of the Subcommittee on Novel Teaching and Assessment Methods and Educational Resources for the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators. Dr. Shabahang is the VP/CMO of the Wellspan Surgery Service Line, York, PA. Dr. Shabahang joined Wellspan in Summer 2021.
Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, FSACME, MAMSE, 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.
