News Items

Where do you practice?
University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
Los Angeles, CA
 
Why are you a member of ASCRS?
My dad always says interactions with professional organizations (and the people in them) are some of the most rewarding experiences of one’s career, and that these relationships teach you far more than you could ever hope to learn. I have found this especially true of ASCRS, which continues to offer new as well as time-honored benefits. Now more than ever, the people I have met through ASCRS activities help all of us through this unique time, make me a better doctor, and are the source of new friendships along the way.

Why did you specialize in colorectal surgery?
Colorectal surgery is never boring. From minor to major surgical cases, benign to malignant pathology, common to rare diagnoses, and short to long-lasting patient relationships, our specialty has it all. The skillset required to master advanced endoscopy, minimally invasive surgery, and complex reoperative cases (not to mention the decision making for each) is enough to span several careers. I am so grateful for some influential mentors along the way that have helped me navigate this path, and look forward to the future, where ASCRS plays a big part of advancing the specialty!

Each year, ASCRS awards two scholarships to help early-career general or colorectal surgeons. 
 
The International Travel Scholarship funds travel and registration fees to attend the ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting. This award is intended for surgeons practicing in parts of the world where the specialty of colorectal surgery is not well established and in areas of great need. Selection of these awards will be based on the applicant’s commitment and potential to impact his or her community.
 
The Career Development Scholarship funds travel and registration fees to attend the ASCRS Annual Scientific Meeting as well as visits with up to two of the top-rated U.S. colorectal training programs. This award is intended to identify young surgeons with a high potential to advance the specialty. 

Congratulations to this year’s winners:
 
Career Development Award winners
•            Ryan Rainiel Abary, Quirino Memorial Medical Center -  Quezon, Philippines
•            Meryl Oyomno, Steve Biko Academic Hospital - Pretoria, South Africa
•            Praveen Kammar, Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital - Mumbai, India
 
Travel Award winners
•            Suman Baral, Lumbini Medical College and Teaching Hospital Ltd - Pravas, Palpa, Nepal
•            Sanjeev Kumar, Tata Memorial Centre - Mumbai, India
•            Pranav Mandovra, Zen Multi Specialty Hospital - Mumbai, India
•            Sami Ullah, Services Hospital - Lahore, Pakistan
 

The Society’s Annual Business Meeting is not only a tradition defined in the Bylaws, but also celebrates member accomplishments, and showcases brief reports intended to keep you informed of the activity of our Society. We miss seeing one another at the Annual Meeting- whether we’re headed out to a planned dinner, or spot one another heading from one concurrent sessions to another, and stop to catch up. Frankly, we are all looking forward to the next time we can safely meet and share some remarkable stories!
Join us Sunday night June 7. Take a moment to remember the colleagues we’ve lost and learn more about the financial condition of the Society; bruised, but not battered due to thoughtful and conservative stewardship over many years and aggressive negotiating by staff and leadership to mitigate loss. Celebrate our thriving journal and learn more about this year’s Local Hero. Fellows will elect the new Executive Council and approve qualified members for elevation to Fellow and International Fellow. We will thank outgoing President Dr. Tracy Hull for her leadership in this turbulent and wholly unexpected time. In turn she will congratulate Dr. Neil Hyman as he becomes the 118th President of ASCRS, and welcomes your questions.
Sunday night June 7; 8:00 pm Eastern/ 7:00 pm Central/ 6:00 pm Mountain/ 5:00 pm Pacific
Register here.

2019 Minutes

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons cancelled its Annual Scientific Meeting originally scheduled for June 6-10, 2020, in Boston. Protecting the health and safety of our members, attendees, patients and families was paramount in this decision, but some annual meeting activities will carry on virtually, like the Local Hero Award.

This award recognizes a patient who has been affected by a colorectal disease, has contributed to the local community through advocacy or public outreach efforts and has an inspirational message for others. This year’s Local Hero Award recipient is Amy Ennis.

Amy Ennis, a Boston local, and was only 38 years old when she was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer. Ennis received treatment at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center (DF/BWCC)’s Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment Center. Ennis underwent surgery to remove the cancer before receiving chemotherapy. This treatment plan seemed to be working, but about a year later a routine scan revealed that the cancer had metastasized to both of her lungs.

“The stage IV diagnosis was 100 times harder than the first one.”

More chemotherapy and four lung surgeries later, Ennis continues to be closely monitored for signs of disease. Ennis said she uses her young daughter as motivation.
Now Ennis is focused on helping other young cancer patients like herself. She created a team for the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk that supports cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber.


The award presentation will take place Wednesday, June 3, at 5:00 pm Pacific/7:00 pm Central/8:00 pm Eastern. We encourage our members to hear from Ennis herself during this event.

Watch the recorded video here.

Where do you practice?
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Why are you a member of ASCRS?
There are myriad quotes attesting to one’s character being reflected by the company they keep.  If that is the case, it is plain to see why I am a member of the ASCRS.  The society membership is a truly impressive group of surgeons who genuinely care about their patients and their colleagues.  The valued friends and mentors that I have met through the society challenge me to be a better surgeon and I hope to pay that forward over the course of my career.  
 
Why did you specialize in colorectal surgery?  
If I had the opportunity to choose a specialty again, I would choose colorectal surgery a hundred times out of a hundred.  My initial attraction to the field were the surgeons themselves!  One after the next, each colorectal surgeon I met was compassionate, technically excellent and had the uncanny ability to make their patients laugh.  Across fascinating benign and malignant pathologies, operations large and small, I have the privilege of offering the same outstanding care to my own patients.  Yet, even over the course of my short career, the nature of that care has changed so much with thoughtful innovation guiding new and better ways to take care of our patients.  It is a very exciting time to be a colorectal surgeon!