The Role of Virtual Interviews in the Recruitment of Surgical Learners

The ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators Grand Rounds Series is pleased to present this virtual panel discussion with Dr. Daniel Farber, Dr. Jennifer LaFemina, and Dr. Jeremy Lipman, moderated by Dr. Mohsen Shabahang, with welcoming remarks by Dr. Ajit K. Sachdeva. This Grand Rounds will explore the role of virtual technology in the interview and selection process of residents and other surgical learners.

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

Jeremy Lipman, MD, MHPE, FACS, FASCRS

Dr. Lipman serves as the Designated Institutional Official and Director of Graduate Medical Education at Cleveland Clinic where he is a staff Colorectal Surgeon. He is a Professor of Surgery at the Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. He received his medical degree from Drexel University, College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and completed his residency in General Surgery at Case Western Reserve University. He then completed fellowship training in Colorectal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic. He has also received a Masters in Health Professions Education from the University of Illinois, Chicago. He is the former Program Director of the General Surgery residency at Cleveland Clinic and prior Surgery Clerkship Director at MetroHealth Medical Center.

Daniel C. Farber, MD, FACS

Dr. Daniel C. Farber is Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He is also the Residency Program Director and Vice-Chair for Education of the Orthopaedic Surgery Department and was the Foot and Ankle Fellowship Director from 2014-2021. Dr. Farber specializes in Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgery and has been in clinical practice for 19 years spanning time in private practice and academic practice. His research activities include both clinical and basic science research on Achilles tendon disorders including ruptures and tendonosis, as well as research on hallux valgus, hallux rigidus and midfoot arthritis. He has served as a member of the AAOS Board of directors and has been both an AAOS leadership fellow and leadership fellow mentor and is currently Chair of the AAOS Resolutions Committee. He is an active member of the AOFAS and has served as Chair of the Fellowship Match Committee, and head of the task force for Fellowship accreditation and is currently a member of the AOFAS Education committee. He was a 2009 AOFAS Travelling Fellow and helped to found the Hermes Society of former AOFAS Travelling fellows. Dr. Farber is on the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society and is the 2022 Annual Meeting Program Chair. He is a member of the American Orthopaedic Association. Dr. Farber completed his undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College, medical school at the University of Maryland, residency at the Penn State Hershey School of Medicine and fellowship in Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle surgery at the Mayo Clinic.

Jennifer LaFemina, MD, FACS

Jennifer LaFemina, MD, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery, is the Program Director of the General Surgery Residency at UMass Chan Medical School. Dr. LaFemina is a Surgical Oncologist, completing her residency at MGH and her fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She serves as the Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) liaison to AAMC ERAS and has been the General Surgical lead for the implementation of the ERAS Supplemental Application. She continues in her role leading the APDS Task Force, which developed and studied the General Surgery’s Interview Cycle Recommendations for the past two recruitment seasons.

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.