The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Colombia Chapter collaborated with the Colombian Association of Surgery on a scholarship program, The Surgeon for the New Colombia, to shape the future of resident training and patient care. The competitive program recognizes aspiring general surgery residents with a full scholarship to attend the ACS Clinical Congress.

“The objective of The Surgeon for the New Colombia is to ensure that future generations of surgeons have the best educational experience at the best surgical meeting in the world,” said Jorge Daes, MD, FACS, Governor for the Colombia Chapter of the ACS and President of the Colombian Association of Surgery.

A total of 28 Colombian surgery residents attended Clinical Congress 2018 in Boston, MA. This year, 25 Colombian residents are in San Francisco, CA, for Clinical Congress.

In addition, the chapter is sponsoring an ACS Theatre Session, The Surgeon for the New Colombia Scholarship 2018–2019 Experience, which will highlight the work of three selected residents on topics related to surgery education and research. The session will take place at 1:00 pm Wednesday in ACS Central.

Surgery is becoming increasingly globalized, according to William Sanchez Maldonado, MD, FACS, President of the ACS Colombia Chapter and Executive Director of the Colombian Association of Surgery. “Globalization is why we agree with the mission of the ACS to improve the quality of care for surgical patients and to safeguard optimal care standards,” he said. “That´s what we want our young surgeons to learn. They are the seed that elevates and improves the professional level of surgeons in Colombia.”