RAS-ACS Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award

Has someone inspired you to become involved in the American College of Surgeons and been a surgical mentor to you? If so, nominate your inspiring mentor for the Resident and Associate Society (RAS-ACS) Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award.

The RAS-ACS Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award was created to honor an outstanding ACS Fellow who has had a marked impact on the engagement of a Resident Member or Associate Fellow and has offered the support and encouragement necessary to build the strong foundation for a surgical career. Mentors from any surgical specialty are eligible for the award and we encourage their nomination.

Eligibility Criteria

Nominees must be Fellows of the College and nominators must be Resident Members or Associate Fellows. A nominee may be nominated by more than one nominator.

Award Criteria

A review committee will be established to review nominations based on the following criteria:

• professional achievements in the career field
• personal history and involvement with ACS
• strength of the letter of recommendation written by the nominator
• accomplishments in their local, regional, and national community
• evidence of impact and success in mentoring RAS members

How to Nominate

Please be prepared to include the following with your nomination:

• A nomination letter, not to exceed two single-spaced pages, supporting the nominee’s efforts to engage young surgeons in the ACS and the impact this experience had on the nominator. Examples of mentorship include intellectual, social, and moral support, as well as career development/advancement.
• Name, title, institution, and contact information of the nominee.
• Name, member type, institution, and contact information of the nominator.

Nominations are now open through June 26, 2023.

For questions or additional information, contact Brad DeFabo Akin at bakin@facs.org.

2022 Award Winner

Laura S. Johnson, MD, FACS, FCCP, FCCM, Associate Professor, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

It is with great pleasure that the Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons recognizes Dr. Laura S. Johnson as the 2022 Outstanding Mentor of the Year. Dr. Johnson was nominated by Yewande Alimi, MD, MSH, Associate Fellow, who was mentored by Dr. Johnson during her previous employment at the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. In her nomination letter, Dr. Alimi said of Dr. Johnson:

“She has always stepped in to create space for those who don't have what they need or what they are looking for in that moment. Whether or not it was the crucial role she played in the development of the women in surgery group at our institution, or helping others figure out what their true passions in surgery are, Dr. Johnson is the epitome of mentorship.”

In addition to her Associate Professor position at Emory, Dr. Johnson serves as the Burn Medical Director at Grady Memorial Hospital, adjunct Associate Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and as a faculty member. She is board certified in general surgery, surgical critical care, and neurocritical care. She began her involvement with ACS as a Resident Member and is a regular faculty member for trauma education programs including Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET).

Dr. Johnson received a monogrammed vase to memorialize her contributions to the field of surgery.