2023 Meeting Recap

Scientific Meeting

The 2023 Scientific Meeting in Santa Barbara was a great success!  From presenters to vendors, to attendees the consensus is that a great time was had by all.  Did you miss out on the meeting?  Need a recap?  Find out who the winners were for some of the events that took place in Santa Barbara.

Jeopardy Winners

The most recent competition took place on Saturday afternoon, January 21st. Residents from Southern California residency programs competed for the coveted Dowden Trophy, as well as bragging rights in what was an educational and highly entertaining event.

Battle of the Blades Winner

This year’s Battle of the Blades competition took place Saturday afternoon, January 21st featuring teams from area teaching programs addressing opposite sides of controversial questions in general/minimally invasive surgery.

AND THE WINNERS WERE…

Michael Mederos, MD and Jordan Rook, MD
UCLA

After a fierce battle, the winner was –

Community Memorial Health System Ventura
Mattie Arseneaux, MD and
Casey Barbaro, MD, FACS, faculty coach

For the first time ever, we have repeat program winners for both competitions! The Battle of the Blades and Jeopadry trophies are returning to the same locations for another year of bragging rights. Congratulations!


Resident Research Winners

The winners of the resident research competition were:

Co-Winner: Predictors of Clinical Outcomes folloClinical and Financial Outcomes of Self-inflicted Firearm Injuries: A National Analysiswing Laparoscopic Colectomy for Traumatic Injury by Zachary Tran, Loma Linda University
Co-Winner: Clinical Impact and Cost Burden of Semi-Annual Mammography in DCIS Patients After Breast Conserving Surgery by Courtney Chen, MD, Cedars Sinai Medical Center
3rd Place: Identification of Populations at Risk for “Choosing Un-Wisely”: A SEER Population-Based Study by Michelle Hong, MD, Loma Linda University

Rising Star AwardNEW! For undergraduate and medical students

Winner: Cost Variation in Bariatric Surgery Across the United States by Ayesha Ng, BS, UCLA

Commission on Cancer Award

  1. Clinical Impact and Cost Burden of Semi-Annual Mammography in DCIS Patients After Breast Conserving Surgery – Courtney Chen, MD, Cedars Sinai Medical Center
  2. Identification of Populations at Risk for “Choosing Un-Wisely”: A SEER Population-Based Study – Michelle Hong, MD, Loma Linda University
  3. Hispanics Delay to Cut: A Health Disparity in Surgery – J. Mark Erfe, MD, Ventura County Medical Center

Committee on Trauma Award

  • Greigory Park, MD, Cedars Sinai Medical Center

Travel Stipend Winners

The leadership of the ACS encourages participation in the Southern California Chapter meeting particularly of young surgeons. A stipend to help defray travel and registration costs to a future ACS meeting, either local or national, is offered to Young Surgeons every year. The successful applicants meeting all requirements receive a $1,200 stipend. The winners were announced at the Scientific Meeting Young Surgeons’ Breakfast.

The 2023 Young Surgeons Travel Stipend Winners were:

  • Morgan Schellenberg, MD, USC
  • Janice Verham, MD, Kaiser Permanente
  • Yassar M. Hashim, MD, Cedars Sinai