Suzan Obagi, MD, Past President, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
A year ago, I wrote about the importance of supporting our Resident Members (The Consult, Spring 2020 ). Not only are they vital to the future of the AACS, but since there is no cosmetic surgery residency, we have an obligation to teach them about the cosmetic surgery specialty. In my March 2020 article, I set two goals:
1) To have a successful 2021 Resident Forum with over 50 participants
2) To launch an AACS Residents’ Council. I am pleased to report that both goals have been met.
The January 16, 2021, AACS Resident Forum agenda was robust. Drs. Alex Sobel, Maria Lombardo, Mo Banki, and Victoria Karlinsky joined me in giving an overview of our specialty and certifying organizations. Four current training fellows, Drs. Martha Ayewah, Moyra Betuzzi, Wesley Brundridge, and Noah Ehinger, gave excellent presentations on key cosmetic procedures.
Our partners, Achieving Accreditation CEO Lorraine Dryden and her colleague, Sonja Jane Winslett, RN, MSN, gave a lecture on patient safety. The program ended with AACS President Dr. Mark Mandell-Brown delivering a concluding statement and answering questions from the residents. The feedback we received from this program was excellent, and we are looking forward to the 2022 AACS Resident Forum in Las Vegas.
On February 28, 2021, the AACS Board of Trustees approved the formation of an AACS Residents’ Council. The role of the Council is to increase the value of an AACS Resident Membership within the scope of the AACS strategic plan, promote the AACS certified Fellowship Programs within their community, assist with the AACS Resident Forum programming and promotion, and support AACS advocacy activities within the AMA and on the state and federal levels. The inaugural AACS Residents’ Council will launch later this year.
As part of the AACS community, I ask each of you to continue to support this membership sector by educating your former residency program about the benefits of exposing their residents to the cosmetic surgery specialty through a no-cost AACS Resident Membership. While we have made great strides in the past year by adding more than 100 new Resident Members to our organization, our commitment to our Resident Members must continue.