If the buzz of activity on the ACS Surgery Career Connection job board is any indication, the Career Fair will be a popular spot during Clinical Congress 2022 in San Diego.

Located inside the Exhibit Hall at the San Diego Convention Center and open daily, 8:00 am–4:00 pm from October 17-19, the Career Fair will be the first opportunity for surgeons to meet in-person with prospective employers at the Clinical Congress since 2019—before COVID-19.

Organizers of the fair note that surgical openings and searches for jobs have been at an all-time high in recent months due, in large part, to the impact the pandemic has had on surgeons. Not long after the onslaught of COVID-19 began, surgeries for non-life-threatening conditions started being postponed. Many suregons were reassigned to work in intensive care units and emergency departments.

Then, once elective surgeries resumed, surgeons often found they were being booked 7 days a week to make up for the backlog. Burnout ensued, as did reevaluations of careers.

Organizers of the 2022 Career Fair expect at least half a dozen medical centers onsite in San Diego, looking for new talent and prospective employees. Anyone interested in a new position should have an updated resume in hand and be prepared to have meaningful conversations. Appointments are not necessary.