SSAT has planned a special course at DDW^® that will provide residents and fellows with information and advice for choosing a specialty and applying for fellowships. The 90-minute session, SSAT Residents and Fellows Workshop, will be held Saturday afternoon, May 18.

“This will be a great opportunity for residents and trainees to hear directly from program directors, experienced mentors and leaders in the field about what they need to know when applying for fellowship programs,” said Motaz Qadan, MD, PhD, assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and chair of the SSAT Resident & Fellow Education Committee.

The workshop will include insider tips from current fellows and representatives from several GI surgical societies, including the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) and the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA).

“The workshop will give residents a sneak preview of what to expect in the fellowship application, advice on how to stand out and some guidance on the qualities and qualifications program directors are looking for in residents and fellows,” Dr. Qadan said. “Attendees will get insight not only about the fellowships themselves, but how to prepare for interviews, how to set up a CV (curriculum vitae) and advice for looking for jobs down the road as well. The workshop will provide residents with a nice, neat package of information on how to transition from residency toward a career in their chosen GI specialty.”