Resident and Fellows Resources banner with image of 3 female surgeons

 

Welcome Residents!

An AWS resident membership is a great way to prepare for a successful surgical career. As a member, you are part of a community of peers with access to exceptional tools, resources and role models. The resident and fellow committee strives to bring you programs and services that will make a difference during your time as a surgical trainee.

AWS sets the stage for a successful career providing tools and information to faculty, counselors, and students. Through the AWS Resident and Fellow Committee, trainees find a strong community for sharing experiences, learning best practices and developing leadership skills.

Resident membership is $50/year and open to all interns, residents, and fellows in surgical training. Leadership opportunities on the resident and fellow committee, involvement with trainee initiatives, and liaison positions to external organizations are available.

 Join as a Resident Member

 

2025 Resident & Fellow Leaders

AWS Resident and Fellow Committee - Image of Dr. Camila Guetter, Chair and Dr. Alizeh Abbas, Vice Chair

 

The Vice Chair of the AWS Resident and Fellow Committee should be a resident or clinical fellow, currently enrolled in a program in or outside of the US. The vice chair is expected to play an active leadership role within the Resident and Fellow Committee. This includes participating in at least 75% of the monthly committee calls (usually on weekdays, evening time), helping to lead and drive forward key projects, and working closely with the Chair to ensure that project timelines and deadlines are met. The Vice Chair should be responsive to committee communications, willing to step in and support or represent the Chair when needed, and demonstrate strong organizational and collaborative skills. Additionally, the Vice Chair should be prepared to assume the role of Chair for the following year, continuing the committee’s momentum and supporting its ongoing goals and initiatives.

The Executive Committee members of the AWS Resident and Fellow Committee should be residents or clinical fellows, currently enrolled in programs in or outside of the US. They are expected to be actively engaged and committed to the work of the Resident and Fellow Committee. This includes attending at least 75% of the monthly committee calls (usually on weekdays, evening time), participating in and taking the lead on at least a few projects each year, and contributing to the planning and execution of committee-organized webinars. Members should be organized, proactive, and responsive to communications to ensure effective collaboration and timely progress on initiatives. Their involvement is essential to advancing the committee’s goals and supporting the professional development of residents and fellows across the organization.

Please complete the application below if you are interested in serving on the 2025-2026 AWS Resident & Fellow Committee Leadership Group. Resident & Fellow positions are one year terms with the expectation that the Vice-Chair will serve as Chair in 2026-2027.  Please consider the timing required for both position commitments when deciding to apply.

DEADLINE for applications: September 25, 2025.

APPLY For Resident & Fellows Committee Leadership HERE

 

Upcoming Webinars:

  • March 11 at 8:00pm ET
  • May 13 at 8:00pm ET
  • July 8 at 8:00pm ET
  • September 9 at 8:00pm ET
Register for Webinars

 

Upcoming Meetings:

  • February 6 at 8:30pm ET
  • March 6 at 8:30pm ET
  • April 3 at 8:30pm ET
  • May 1 at 8:30pm ET
  • June 5 at 8:30pm ET
  • July 3 at 8:30pm ET
  • August 7 at 8:30pm ET
  • September 4 at 8:30pm ET
Register HERE
 

AWS Resident & Fellow Meeting: Miss a meeting? Check out the recordings here.
(Please note you must be a member and login to your profile to access the recording.)

AWS Resident and Medical Student Facebook Group

facebook logo

The group is used to plan dinners and informal meet-ups during national conferences, assist with residency interviewing accommodations, and allow for greater communication between members. Participation in this group is limited to members of AWS only. Requests to join will be reviewed by the Administrator.

Click here to join the group

Current Projects

  • Join the Resident and Fellow Committee! We meet every 1-2 months to discuss ongoing projects and initiatives with plenty of opportunities for involvement and new ideas. All resident members are welcome. Contact the Resident &Fellow Committee Chair to be added to our email list.

  • Preparing to Launch. Starting in summer 2022, our webinar series focuses on topics relevant to transitioning to practice after completion of residency or fellowship training. Seminar topics include contract negotiation, reimbursement, getting the most of your contract, and financial planning.

  • Intern Success Webinar. This session provides advice and tips for interns on how to be successful in their first year of training. 

  • AWS Research Madness: AWS Research Madness is an exciting opportunity for students, residents, and fellow members of AWS to showcase their work to a wide, international audience. Featuring multiple "rounds" of abstracts and presentations, authors have the unique opportunity to vary the platform through which their research is provided as they compete across four rounds of competition, including a visual abstract, quick-shot and oral presentation, and live Q&A answer discussion with practicing surgeons.

  • Fellowship Application and Specialty Resources Guides. Residents interested in learning more about various surgical specialties may access AWS resources guides that outline key websites, scholarship opportunities, conference and abstract submission information, and more.

Current Projects with the AWS Student Committee

  • AWS Medical Student Chapters: The National Medical Student Committee is proud to work with an amazing international network of more than 100 medical student chapters from states across the country and countries around the globe. Our team of 12 regional representatives/liaisons are dedicated to helping each chapter succeed, including hosting regional conferences within their region each year, engaging with chapter leadership in region-wide conference calls and group discussion chats, and helping interested schools develop new initiatives and welcome new chapters into AWS.

  • Underrepresented-In-Medicine (UIM) Mentoring Program. In January 2020, the National Medical Student Committee piloted its first year of an annual UIM mentoring program in conjunction with the Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS) and the Latino Surgical Society (LSS) that paired current UIM medical student mentees with UIM practicing surgeon mentors in a six-month organized mentorship curriculum. Recruitment for interested mentors and mentees goes live in November each year.

  • Research Methods Series: The National Medical Student Committee hosts a bi-monthly virtual research methods series with practicing AWS members who are experts in various fields of research. AWS student and trainee members are invited to join us for live interactive sessions or view recordings of previous sessions on the AWS YouTube research playlist linked above.

Additional Resources