The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators™ virtual Fireside Chat Series connect you with experts for an open dialog driven by audience questions.
Dr. Mellinger discussed his specific career path and important lessons learned. Ideal for surgery residents and medical students considering careers in surgery, a significant portion of the hour will be devoted to answering questions from the audience.
About the Speakers
John D. Mellinger, MD, FACS, serves as the J. Roland Folse, MD Endowed Chair in Surgery, vice chair of the department of surgery, and professor and chair of general surgery at Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine in Springfield. He also serves as Director for Excellence and Leadership for the Center for Human and Organizational Potential at SIU, and as a physician coach for the Memorial Health System. Dr. Mellinger received his MD from Case Western Reserve University. He completed residency training in general surgery at the Blodgett/St. Mary’s Hospitals in Grand Rapids, MI, followed by a fellowship in surgical endoscopy at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland, OH. He has also completed a surgical education research fellowship through the Association for Surgical Education (ASE).
He served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, and prior to coming to SIU has had academic appointments at Wright State University, Michigan State University, and the Medical College of Georgia. His academic interests include surgical education, surgical endoscopy, gastrointestinal surgery, and international surgery. Dr. Mellinger has served on the Boards of several national organizations, including serving as a director of the American Board of Surgery (ABS) and the American Board of Family Medicine, on the Board of Governors of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), and on the Board of Trustees of the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA). He currently serves as Chair for the ABS. He is on the editorial board for Annals of Surgery and the Journal of Surgical Education, and is co-editor-in-chief for Resources in Surgical Education, an online peer-reviewed resource produced by the American College of Surgeons. He is a past president of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery, currently serves as vice president of SAGES, and has previously served as academic dean for the Commission on Medical and Dental Education of the CMDA. Dr. Mellinger has received more than 30 teaching awards, including the Outstanding Teacher Award of the ASE, the SIU systemwide 2018 Excellence in Teaching Award, the Educator of the Year Award of the CMDA, and the Jeffrey L. Ponsky Master Educator in Endoscopy Award from SAGES. Dr. Mellinger is married to his wife of 36 years, Elaine, and has four married children and 10 grandchildren.
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.
If you have questions about the series, please contact Rachel Williams Newman at rnewman@facs.org or call 312-202-5653.
