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AWSF Stories of Giving
in support of women surgeons
Congratulations to the 2024 Women Scholars
Congratulations to the 2024 Women Scholars! Presented in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons, the Women Scholars Program provides women surgical trainees with access to the training and board examinations provided by the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). AWSF would like to thank all donors who make the global impact of this program possible.
The Power of Mentorship: Paving the Path to Success
This January, in honor of National Mentoring Month, AWS members paid tribute to the mentors who shaped their careers and professional growth. Each mentor was recognized with a gift to the AWS Foundation in their honor, ensuring their legacy continues to empower future generations of women in surgery.
Dr. Jennifer Whittington
Dr. Whittington has been an exceptional mentor, offering unwavering guidance, support, and inspiration throughout my journey in medicine. I truly wouldn't be here without her. - Dr. Jessica Chapelet
Dr. Shannon Foster
Dr. Shannon Foster was a strong role model and mentor in my training years and has become a good friend in the years after continuing to offer support and guidance as I've built my career as an attending surgeon. - Dr. Jessica Barton
Dr. Mary Hooks
I am a surgeon today because of Dr. Hooks' guidance, mentorship, and sponsorship. So fortunate to have a wonderful mentor. - Dr. Jennifer Whittington
Dr. Christine Laronga
Recognized and honored for her mentorship by Dr. Danielle Henry
Reflecting on the 2024 AWSF Visiting Professorship
From the 2024 AWSF Kim Ephgrave Visiting Professor, Jennifer Plichta, MD
Although I was hopeful that I would be selected as the AWSF Kim Ephgrave Visiting Professor, I did not actually think it would happen. Much to my surprise, I was thrilled when I opened the notification email on March 9th, 2024, and I was even more ecstatic about the opportunity when I learned that the Department of Surgery at the Warren Alpert Medical School-Brown University had requested to host me! I was honored to be selected for this incredible opportunity, and I am sincerely thankful to the AWSF awards committee, including Dr. Kristalyn Gallagher, as well as the Surgery Resident at Brown that initiated the host application, Dr. Debolina Banerjee.
After my arrival on Tuesday, October 29th, I met with the Chair of Surgery, Dr. Aurora Pryor and toured the growing campus. This was certainly a unique opportunity, given that there are so few women chairs of surgery in the US. During this one-on-one time, we discussed her vision for the department as a relatively new chair, and I highly valued learning more about the duties of a chair at a prestigious academic medical center, such as Brown. We then had a delightful dinner at a local Italian restaurant, where I was able to interact with several of the breast surgical oncology faculty, additional surgical faculty, as well as several surgical residents. We discussed the thrills and challenges of both residency and surgery, and I particularly enjoyed getting to know some of the residents that I will call colleagues, hopefully breast surgery colleagues, in the near future!
On my second day in Rhode Island, I was the featured guest speaker for their departmental surgery grand rounds, attended by many of the surgery faculty, residents, and other trainees. During my first talk, I presented some of the highlights from my research, entitled “De novo Metastatic Breast Cancer: Prognosis and Surgical Considerations”. This afforded me the opportunity to share not only my circuitous research path, but also some of the fortunate progress we have made in breast cancer staging, which will be included in the 9th version of the AJCC Breast Cancer Staging Guidelines. In addition, it allowed me to highlight the work of a current Duke surgery resident and former Brown surgery resident, Dr. Anna Louie, who actively participated in several of the projects presented. After a robust discussion regarding my team’s research, I then had a casual breakfast with the residents and trainees, where I happily answered questions about my career path.
After breakfast, we spent time reviewing case presentations by several residents. During the first presentation, I was excited to see that it was a case of a patient with metastatic breast cancer, which aligned well with my research interests. The next few cases were related to breast cancer risk and genetics, which are both clinical and research interests of mine. I was thrilled to discuss some of my favorite topics, and I greatly appreciated the residents tailoring their cases to my interests. The case presentations generated enthusiastic discussions with the residents and faculty, and I loved sharing my own perspectives on these particular topics!
After a short break, I was then given the opportunity to give a more personal talk to the trainees, entitled “Overcoming Challenges for Success: Lemons or Lemonade”, and during this hour, I gave brief stories about “One Surgeon’s Journey”, my journey, where I stressed the importance of mentorship, persistence, and enjoying the journey, wherever it may lead. I also discussed several of the unique opportunities that I’ve had in my career, and the benefits of volunteering with well respected and diverse organizations, such as the AWS. I ended the presentation with my own “10 tips for success”:
- Know thyself
- Prioritize
- Mentorship is key
- Work hard and be reliable
- Don’t compare
- Own and learn from your mistakes
- Choose your mindset carefully
- Help others and pay it forward
- Enjoy life
- Make lemonade
Before the day ended, I had one final opportunity to have more personal conversations with the residents and students over lunch. During this time, I asked the trainees about their goals, aspirations, and dreams. I hope that I challenged them to aim high, dream big, seek help, and help others. This visit certainly provided inspiration for me to continue to do the same in my own journey, and I am incredibly thankful to the AWSF and Brown for the opportunity. Thank you!
From the 2024 AWSF Visiting Professor Host Institution, the Department of Surgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University:
We were able to host Dr. Plichta at our institution this past October 29th-30th. It was an absolutely wonderful experience and we are honored to have been selected for this lectureship. She had a busy day and half while she was here. She had a 1on 1 with our chair of Surgery, Dr. Aurora Pryor; had dinner with our chair, breast division, resident presenters, and clerkship director; presented at grand rounds (multiple departments were invited that had an interest in breast surgery including the fellow at our neighboring hospital, Women and Infants, students interested in Surgery, as well as students involved in the AWS organization at Brown); she had breakfast with residents, faculty, and students; 4 residents presented case presentations; she had a second talk that students, faculty, and residents all attended, and finished the day off with lunch with residents and students. We had residents pick her up and bring her to the multiple events so she had some 1 on 1 interactions with a few of the residents as well. Dr. Plichta is extremely knowledgeable and I think everyone learned something even those that weren’t interested in breast surgery. Overall, we had such a wonderful experience and we hope she did as well.
Congratulations 2024 AWSF Travel Grant Awardees
Please join us in congratulating the 2024 AWSF Travel Grant Awardees, Drs. Sifa Vumiliya Kanonge and Rahel Abebayehu Assefa! Thanks to the generosity of donors, the AWS Foundation provides travel grants for women surgeons to attend the Annual College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa Conference and Women in Surgery Africa events.
AWS and AWSF Give Thanks to Program Directors and Deans
Each year Program Directors and Deans are given many opportunities to partner with the Association of Women Surgeons and the Associations of Women Surgeons Foundation in supporting women surgeons. AWS and AWSF are grateful for the generosity of our institutional partners!
Most Dedicated Supporters
There are seven (7) Program Chairs that sponsor the Association of Women Surgeons and the Association of Women Surgeons Foundation as Institutional Members, Conference Sponsors AND Gala Table Hosts. AWS and AWSF wants to express our appreciation and gratitude to the following:
All Program Chair and Dean Supporters
Conference Sponsors
PLATINUM SPONSOR
- UC Davis Department of Surgery, Dr. Diana Farmer
GOLD SPONSORS
- Duke University Department of Surgery: Dr. Allan Douglas Kirk
- University of Chicago: Dr. Jeffrey B Matthews
- University of Pennsylvania Department of Surgery: Dr. Ronald DeMatteo
- Weill Cornell Medicine: Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi
SILVER SPONSORS
- The Ohio State University: Dr. Timothy M Pawlik
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center: Dr. Timothy Billiar
- USF Health Department of Surgery: Dr. Murray Shames
- Virginia Commonwealth University: Dr. Vigneshwar Kasirajan
BRONZE SPONSORS
- Brown Surgical Associates: Dr. William G. Cioffi
- Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital: Dr. Anne Rizzo
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Surgical Oncology: Dr. Matthew H.G. Katz
- Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School Department of Surgery: Dr. Daniel B. Jones
- Southern Illinois University School of Medicine: Dr. Michael Neumeister
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center: Dr. Ariel Santos
- Tulane School of Medicine Department of Surgery: Dr. Mary T. Killackey
Institutional Members:
- Atrium Health - Carolinas Medical Center
- Baylor Scott & White Healthcare
- Baylor University Medical Center
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Cleveland Clinic
- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University / Cooper University Hospital
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
- Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin
- Duke Surgery
- Eastern Virginia Medical School
- George Washington University
- Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital
- Indiana University School of Medicine
- Kuwait Surgical Society, Kuwait Medical Association
- Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
- Loma Linda University Health General Surgery Residency
- Loyola University Medical Center
- Maimonides Medical Center
- Memorial Healthcare System
- MetroHealth
- Montefiore Medical Center
- Northwell Health Surgery Service Line
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
- NYU Langone Medical Center
- OHSU
- Penn State Department of Surgery
- Research Medical Center - Extant Healthcare
- Royal College of Surgeons Ireland
- Saint Joseph's University Medical Center
- Southern Illinois University
- Stanford Medicine
- SUNY Downstate Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Surgery
- University of Kansas Department of Surgery
- Trinity Health Ann Arbor
- Tulane University School of Medicine
- UCSF Department of Surgery
- UCSF - East Bay Surgery Program
- Univ of FL Department of Surgery
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of Arizona Department of Surgery
- University of Chicago
- University of Cincinnati Department of Surgery
- University of Colorado Department of Surgery
- University of Louisville
- University of Michigan Medicine
- University of Minnesota
- University of Missouri
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Tennessee College of Medicine - Chattanooga
- University of Utah Department of Surgery
- University of Virginia
- University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery
- UNM
- UW Department of Surgery
- Virginia Commonwealth University Health
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Weill Cornell Medicine - Department of Surgery
- West Virginia University
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Surgery
Foundation Gala Table Sponsors
- Case Western University / MetroHealth: Dr. Marie Crandall
- Department of Surgery at Northwestern University: Dr. Leah Tatebe
- Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Dr. Walter Pegoli
- Dr. Patricia Numann
- Dr. Hilary Sanfey
- Duke Department of Surgery (2): Dr. Allan Douglas Kirk
- Emory University / Grady Memorial Hospital: Dr. Laura Johnson
- Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital: Dr. Anne Rizzo
- Martha Zeiger Honorary Table (2)
- Mary Fallat Honorary Table
- McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston: Dr. Richard Andrassy
- MD Anderson: Dr. Richard Andrassy
- Newton-Wellesley Hospital/Mass General: Dr. Sareh Parangi
- OHSU Department of Surgery: Dr. Kenneth Azarow
- Rutgers University: Dr. Salewa Oseni
- University of California Davis: Dr. Diana Farmer
- University of California San Francisco: Dr. Lucy Kornblith
- University of Chicago (2): Dr. Jeffrey B. Matthews
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Department of Surgery: Dr. Richard Schulick
- University of Kentucky College of Medicine: Dr. William Inabnet
- University of Pittsburgh: Dr. Timothy Billiar
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: Dr. Herbert Zeh
- University of Utah: Dr. Erin Ward
- USUHS: Dr. AJ Copeland
- UTHSC: Dr. David Shibata
- Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Surgery: Dr. Vigneshwar Kasirajan
- Weill Cornell Medical College: Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi
Monthly Donor Highlight: Dr. Lauren Nosanov
Why do you give to AWSF as a Monthly Donor?
"Monthly donation to the AWS Foundation became a priority for me several years ago when I discovered the extent to which the programs, scholarships, and awards depend upon donations to be sustained. The impact is felt globally as well as locally. I am proud to support an organization so committed to the mission of advancing women’s careers in surgery and working to address gender disparities worldwide. Funds are carefully and thoughtfully distributed in order to provide opportunity with a strong impact – even a small amount per month can help achieve big changes."
-Dr. Lauren Nosanov
The AWS Foundation would like to thank our generous supporters who, like Dr. Nosanov, provide a recurring donations every month. The Association of Women Surgeons Foundation is dedicated to the advancement of women in surgery, and our mission to provide opportunities for the educational and professional growth of women surgeons relies on the gracious support of donors. Thank you!
Reflecting on the 2023 AWSF Visiting Professorship
From Dr. Kimberly M Lumpkins, 2023 AWSF Kim Ephgrave Visiting Professor
It was my pleasure to visit the University of New Mexico as the Association of Women Surgeons Foundation Kim Ephgrave Visiting Professor. The host institution offered an incredibly kind welcome, and they extended the impact of the Kim Ephgrave Visiting Professorship by integrating my visit with the inaugural symposium for the new Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) for the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.
On my first day in New Mexico, I met with the program directors of the general surgery residency, followed by Min-Li Wang, an acute care surgeon who serves as the inaugural GMIMS president at UNM. Having been the inaugural president of the University of Maryland GWIMS organization myself, we talked about the challenges that face these organizations and suggestions to increase impact across the school. Then I had a lively panel session with the Women in Surgery Student Interest Group. Featuring surgeons in a variety of practice settings and specialties, we talked frankly with the students about life as a surgeon and our advice about issues facing women in surgery.
On the following day, the AWSF Kim Ephgrave Visiting Professor lecture for the Department of Surgery also served as the kickoff presentation for the UNM GWIMS symposium for the entire school. I spoke about finding your mission and using this as a guiding principle to make choices that lead to a more professionally fulfilling career. With lively engagement from the audience, I was gratified to see that many members of the audience plan to critically examine their choices in the days and months ahead. I then met with the general surgery residents to discuss critical issues in evaluating your first job offer as an attending, how to know when you're ready to independently practice, and how to keep a sense of self during residency. Perhaps there's no greater lesson for the residents than that there's no one right way to do things. Your life will take many unexpected turns and twists that can all lead to success.
As the finale to my time in Albuquerque, I was a panelist for the GWIMS mentorship review. While other panelists detailed existing mentorship programs at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, I spoke about the importance of executive coaching. Many women either don't know about executive coaching or feel they’re too junior in rank, however executive coaching can be an incredibly powerful tool for women considering leadership positions.
The AWSF Kim Ephgrave Visiting Professorship was a unique opportunity to meet with a broad spectrum of the UNM community from students to senior faculty. I am indebted to the AWSF and my host institution for this priceless experience.
From the University of New Mexico Department of Surgery
Dr. Lumpkins arrived on the afternoon of Wednesday March 13, 2024 for her visit hosted by University of New Mexico (UNM) Department of Surgery. Her visit coincided with celebration of Women’s History Month and the inaugural Association of American Colleges’ (AAMC) Group of Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) kickoff event. In the evening, she was the guest of honor at a dinner hosted by Vice Chair of Surgical Education, attended by surgical faculty, fellow, and senior surgical residents. Conversation was lively, ranging from casual conversations about life experiences to discussions about challenges for women in academic medicine and leadership. On March 14, 2024, Dr. Lumpkins was met by Associate Surgical Program Directors and AWS medical student chapter mentors, Drs. Annie Moore and Rachel Danczyk, and met with them to discuss career advice, coaching, and other topics relevant to being a female surgeon. She had one-to-one meeting with Surgery Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Ming-Li Wang, where Dr. Lumpkins shared her knowledge and expertise around team and organizational leadership. She then met with AWS medical student chapter leadership and participated in a well-attended surgical specialty panel with female surgeons from a variety of specialties and practice settings. The panel had a lively question and answer session that helped to advise and better the next generation of surgeons. In the evening, dinner was hosted by surgical education leadership and attended by General Surgery Program Director, Associate Program Directors, and a female surgery resident. On the morning of Friday, March 15, 2024, Dr. Lumpkins presented her Surgical Grand Rounds on “Envisioning Your Future: Your Personal Mission Statement” to over 70 faculty, residents, students, advanced provider practitioners, and staff registrants at the inaugural AAMC Chapter of GWIMS, where she was introduced by Dr. Ming-Li Wang, the inaugural President of AAMC Chapter GWIMS. The hybrid event was well-attended and generated an animated question and answer session from faculty and trainees. Dr. Lumpkins, then, spent the morning with surgical residents at surgical resident education conference where she gave trainees career advice, leadership tips, and answered questions about negotiating for your first job and finding the right fit within an institution. The residents were very grateful for this time with Dr. Lumpkins and found her wisdom and advice to be extremely helpful. She finished the morning, serving at the GWIMS Mentorship Panel of 6, which included Assistant Dean of Faculty Development. She gave the unique perspective of the surgeon and value of executive coaching. She had networking lunch with the GWIMS attendees and Dr. Amy Gottlieb, Chair of AAMC GWIMS Committee, hosted by the UNM GWIMS officers. She answered questions from attendees who thought her presentation was amazing.
Overall, Dr. Lumpkin’s visit was very well-received by everyone at UNM. Her presentation “Envisioning Your Future: Your Personal Mission Statement” struck a chord with many surgical and non-surgical women physicians and scientists, as well as trainees. Many approached me afterwards to express appreciation that the event was open and publicized for all women physicians and scientist across the UNM Health Science Center. Her talk was not only attended by surgeons and trainees but senior faculty in the School of Medicine Faculty Development Office and across multiple disciplines. Visiting GWIMS keynote speaker, Dr. Amy Gottlieb, commented immediately afterwards that Dr. Lumpkins should consider giving her talk as a TED-TALK. The sub-specialty surgeons and leadership from other departments at GWIMS event asked for her recorded zoom presentation to share with their faculty. Two women surgical clerkship students on our way out the door commented on the excellence of the talk and how much they appreciated the visit. As one senior basic science faculty, Dr. Nora Bizzozero commented, “Thank you for inviting Dr. Lumpkins. Her talk was a great call to action and gave me new hope for the future. I wished that ALL the faculty, student, and fellows could have attended.”
Your Gift, Their Milestone
AWS Resident Travel Awardees Share their 2023 AWS Conference Experiences
The Association of Women Surgeons is thrilled to share stories of empowerment and growth as experienced by the 2023 AWS Resident Travel Award recipients. This past year, four exceptional women surgeons were granted financial scholarships to attend the 2023 AWS Annual Conference in Boston. The impact of the travel awards, as detailed in the comments below, extended beyond the conference - they inspired confidence, fostered professional growth, and supported the development of future leaders in surgery.
Thank you to Dr. Margaret Dunn, Dr. Lauren Nosanov, and AWS Foundation donors for investing in the career advancement of women surgeons through the 2023 AWS Resident Travel Awards!
Isabella Faria, MD
"I am very thankful for being a recipient for the Resident Travel Award for the AWS 2023 Annual Conference. This generous donation allowed me to present my work at the Top Papers session, connect with many amazing women surgeons, and dive deeper into the association. Thank you for making it possible!"
Lauren M. Janczewski, MD
"Thank you so much to the generosity of the donors for the opportunity to attend the AWS 2023 Annual Conference. This was such an impactful experience for me having the chance to network with other women surgeons, learn from their experiences, and become more involved with the AWS. I am so grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing to work with the AWS throughout my career."
Natalia Correa, MD, MS
"I feel incredibly grateful and honored to have received the Resident Award this year. I have enjoyed attending AWS as a medical student and now as a resident. This organization has been pivotal in getting me involved and connected with countless amazing surgeons and mentors. It is an amazing opportunity to network, learn, and gain perspective for all the opportunities the field of surgery has to offer. I look forward to staying involved and hope I can continue to attend in the future!"
Andrea Riner, MD, MPH
"As I reflect on the opportunity to attend the AWS 2023 Annual Conference, I am filled with gratitude and inspiration. The first time I attended the AWS Annual Conference was during my second year in residency and thanks to your generous donation, I was able to return for my second conference this past year. I left with the exact same sentiments as my first experience: inspiration, empowerment, self-worth, and optimism that the future of surgery is bright with such incredible female surgeons. After experiencing burnout during residency, this was a much needed reminder of why I am here and why I was called to surgery. I found myself seated at a table of medical students, all of whom wanted to soak up as much advice as possible from me, given my relative experience navigating this profession. The excitement for their future surgical careers was palpable and I was honored to share any little piece of advice I could to encourage them or help them along their journey.... I have attended academic conferences focused on scientific and disease-specific advances, which are certainly educational, but AWS' Annual Conference has quickly become a personal favorite as I gained new skills to help me be a better version of my authentic self AND in turn a better surgeon, thanks to the women who have paved the way before me. I am thankful for your generosity in sponsoring my attendance at the AWS 2023 Annual Conference through the Resident Travel Award and hope to attend as often as possible in the future."
Help to Make the Work of the Foundation Including the 2024 AWS Resident Travel Awards Possible
Looking ahead, the Association of Women Surgeons aims to continue this legacy of empowerment and support of surgical residents. The 2024 AWS Annual Conference in San Francisco presents an opportunity to further this mission. However, the participation of many talented residents remains hindered by financial constraints.
We invite you to join us in supporting AWSF and surgical residents by contributing to the Foundation. Your donation will make it possible for future residents to network, learn, and thrive in the surgical field. Thank you for your support!
Thanking Our Mentors
In alignment with #NationalMentoringMonth in January 2024, the Association of Women Surgeons Foundation is pleased to celebrate outstanding mentors who were recognized by members of our community through gifts made in their honor.
 
2023 Women Scholars
In early December 2023, Dr. Sherry Wren represented the Association of Women Surgeons Foundation at the 2023 College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) Scientific Conference, where she presented awards to the selected 2023 Women Scholars. Presented in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons, the Women Scholars Program provides women surgical trainees with access to the training and board examinations provided by COSECSA. AWSF would like to thank all donors who make the global impact of this program possible. To contribute to the future of the Women Scholars Program, please consider making a donation.
Recognizing an Excellent Surgeon
The Association of Women Surgeons is pleased to announce a new donation made in recognition of Dr. Dixie Mills. In a note submitted with the gift, donor Betts G. Mayer shared the following sentiments:
This donation is dedicated to honoring Dr. Dixie Mills with my appreciation of her very wise and unique medical counsel to me. There is no one like her. Dixie delivers invaluable guidance in the most personable and and professional manner, reflecting her warm and caring nature. No wonder she was your president in 1999-2000!
Thank you, Betts Mayer, for generously supporting women surgeons and recognizing Dr. Mills! Are you interested in recognizing an invaluable surgeon in your life? Simply click the link below, select a donation amount, and select "I would like to dedicate my donation to someone special."
Celebrating a Friend
The Association of Women Surgeons is pleased to announce a donation made in honor of Nell Maloney Patel, MD.
“As lifelong friends of Dr. Maloney Patel, her friends chose to celebrate a milestone birthday by donating to the future of women in surgery." - Dr. Stephanie Bonne
Interested in honoring your friends, colleagues, and mentors in a unique and impactful way? Consider making a gift in support of women surgeons in their name. Simply click the link below, select a donation amount, and select "I would like to dedicate my donation to someone special."
AWS Foundation Awardees Share their Experiences
Each year the Association of Women Surgeons Foundation presents awards to outstanding women surgeons and supporters. These awards are made possible through the generosity of AWS Foundation donors.
We asked past winners to reflect on what receiving an AWSF Award meant to them, and how it impacted their journeys.
Meera Kotagal, MD, MPH
2013 AWSF Dr. Hilary Sanfey Outstanding Resident Awardee
Dr. Sanfey is an incredible role model. Being named the Hilary Sanfey Outstanding Resident in 2013 was such a tremendous honor, and one of the standout achievements of my career to date. To be nominated both by my mentors and chair, and to be recognized by the AWS Committee was a moving recognition of both the work I had done to that point, and of my potential to have an impact in the field.
Lisa Bevilacqua, MD
2018 AWSF Patricia Numann Outstanding Medical Student Awardee
The Patricia Numann Award inspired me to enter residency with fearlessness to advocate for change and take on leadership roles during my training. It also allowed me to pursue my interests knowing there was a strong network of other women surgeons that I could rely on for guidance and support. I am extremely grateful for this award and the path that it has helped put me on.
Rebecca Hoffman, MD, MSCE
2018 AWSF Dr. Hilary Sanfey Outstanding Resident Awardee
My Sanfey Award Plaque hangs proudly in my office, a constant reminder of the amazing woman for whom it stands, a reminder of who I strive to be and the legacy I strive to leave, and a reminder of who I was and all that I have worked for.
AWS Foundation Awards are made possible through the generosity of our donors. If you are interested in helping to continue the AWSF Award program, please consider making a donation. Thank you for your ongoing support!
AWSF Travel Grants
Thanks to the generosity of donors, the Association of Women Surgeons Foundation provides travel grants to enable women surgeons to attend the Annual College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) conference and Women in Surgery Africa (WiSA) events.
Congratulations to Hana A. Gebreselassi, MD, recipient of the 2022 AWSF Travel Award. In this photo, Dr. Gebreselassi is shown celebrating with Drs. Hilary Sanfey, Patricia Numann, and Amanita Salleh.
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