ACS Education

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) welcomes surgeons, resident surgeons, medical students, and members of the surgical team from around the world to take part in our scientific and educational programs. The goal of ACS educational programs is to meet the evolving needs of practicing surgeons, resident surgeons, medical students, and members of the surgical team with the end goal of improving care for patients.

The premier global scientific meeting for the surgical field, Clinical Congress offers learning opportunities rooted in cutting-edge science, state-of-the-art surgical practices, and contemporary principles of surgical education and professional development. The Clinical Congress program includes lectures, sessions, and courses that are relevant to surgeons practicing around the globe.

ACS Fellows and members have access to Evidence-Based Decisions in Surgery modules that are based on practice standards and used for decision support, patient-focused interactions with health care professionals, and patient education.

The E-learning Resource Center includes popular web-based and physical educational programs developed by the ACS, including SESAP, Selected Readings in General Surgery, and the Multimedia Atlas of Surgery.

The free Gastrointestinal Surgical Emergencies textbook is a resource for surgeons at all career stages looking for knowledge and information from world-renowned leaders on the signs and symptoms of surgical diseases commonly encountered in emergency gastrointestinal surgery, identification of treatment options, and employment of best practices in emergency situations. The textbook is a result of the popular Gastrointestinal Surgical Emergencies course first held by the ACS’ Italy Chapter and later Argentina Chapter through the International Chapter Opportunity Program funded through the generosity of Pon Satitpunwaycha, MD, FACS.

Quality Improvement

ACS quality programs assist hospitals and providers in managing, analyzing, and interpreting data in order to improve patient care. The ACS Quality and Safety Conference is a professional forum for surgeons and surgical team members from around the world to discuss and apply current knowledge pertaining to local, national, and international quality and safety initiatives in the surgical field.

Global surgeon leaders interested in improving patient care in their practice by implementing quality programs are encouraged to order Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety, the definitive resource for leading within a team. The ACS has numerous resources for surgeons and hospitals to use in designing and improving the quality improvement program at their institution, and these resources can be utilized and adopted by international programs.

Trauma

Since 1980, the ACS Committee on Trauma courses have provided surgeons and members of the surgical care team with safe and reliable interventions for the treatment and management of trauma victims. Multiple formats of in-person trauma education are available globally.

Cancer

As an international leader in cancer care, the ACS has robust educational resources and training opportunities for surgeons to stay current with cancer care trends and treatments.

Breast Care

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers is an international program that creates standards for the most efficient and contemporary breast care using scientific evidence that supports the best treatment for patients.