Learning Environment and Learning Culture

The ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators Grand Rounds Series is pleased to present this virtual panel discussion with Dr. Amit Joshi, Dr. Roy Phitayakorn, and Dr. Paula Termuhlen, moderated by Dr. Mohsen Shabahang, with welcoming remarks by Dr. Ajit K. Sachdeva. The purpose of this panel is to discuss the topic of Learning Environment and Learning Culture in surgical education.

Participation in the Academy Virtual Grand Rounds is designated for 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Amit R.T. Joshi, MD, FACS

Professor of Surgery
Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Designated Institutional Official, Cooper University Healthcare
Editor-in-Chief, SCORE

Dr. Joshi is the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education/Designated Institutional Official and Professor of Surgery at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, NJ. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the American Board of Surgery’s (ABS) Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE)—which is the national curriculum for surgery. He was also the 2023-2024 President of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery.

At Brown University’s 8-year Program in Liberal Medical Education, he received his BA in Music in 1997 and MD (with academic distinction) in 2001. He completed his surgical residency at New York Presbyterian/Cornell and fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at North Shore/Long Island Jewish Hospitals. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery. His clinical interests include general surgery with a focus on hernia repairs.

Roy Phitayakorn, MD, MHPE, FACS, MAMSE

Vice Chair of Education, MGH Department of Surgery
Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Roy Phitayakorn completed his residency training in general surgery at Case Western Reserve University in 2009 and an endocrine surgery fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 2011.  Dr. Phitayakorn is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School (HMS) with a practice in general surgery and endocrine surgery.  Dr. Phitayakorn is also the MGH Department of Surgery Vice Chair of Education where he oversees the medical student (pre-clinical, clinical clerkship, and post-clerkship electives/subinternship), residency (five surgical programs), and fellowship (seven surgical fellowships) programs.  He is also the Co-Director of the American College of Surgeons-accredited MGH Surgery Education Research and Simulation Fellowship program and Chair of the HMS Surgery Education Committee. 

Paula M. Termuhlen, MD, FACS, MAMSE

Professor of Surgery Emerita, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine

Dr. Termuhlen is a graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, completed general surgery training at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and a Surgical Oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center. With over 30 years of experience in academic medicine, she has been on the faculty at several medical schools and is widely published in surgical education. She served as a residency program director for 13 years, leading two different programs. Most recently, she served as the President, CEO and Dean of the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine until early 2024. In 2022, she was honored with full membership in the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and is a Past-President of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery.

The session will be moderated by Mohsen Shabahang, MD, PhD, FACS, MAMSE, 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.

Welcome remarks will be given by 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.