J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1998;116:537-541
© 1998 Mosby, Inc.
Comments From The President |
The American Association For Thoracic Surgery
Lawrence H. Cohn, MD
Boston, Massachusetts
Education and research in cardiothoracic surgery are among the primary missions of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. The Evarts A. Graham Memorial Traveling Fellowship was established in 1951 by the AATS to help fulfill that mission. Since the inception of the Graham Fellowship, 43 young surgeons from 23 countries have completed their training in thoracic surgical centers. The 1998-99 Graham Fellow is Christian Kreutzer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Graham Fund also administers two Research Scholarships. This year Drs. Stephen C. Yang of Johns Hopkins University and Bruce Rosengard of the University of Pennsylvania received these awards. The Graham Fund also administers an International Traveling Fellowship for US and Canadian residents, and the 1998-99 International Fellow this year is Dr. Lishan Aklog of Boston, Massachusetts. In the spirit of expanding support for education, the AATS Council, at its annual meeting in Boston, voted to transfer $250,000 from the Graham Fund, which is administered by the AATS, to The Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education (TSFRE). The latter is a freestanding organization co-sponsored by the AATS and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, dedicated to research and education needs in cardiothoracic surgery. These funds will expand the resources of the TSFRE, which will allow for increased funding of research by young investigators, both resident and staff, in cardiothoracic surgery. Many individual cardiothoracic surgeons in both organizations have also included the TSFRE in their annual giving every year.
The call for abstracts and logistic plans are well underway for the 1999 meeting of the AATS in April in New Orleans. April is perhaps the best month for weather in New Orleans, with beautiful springtime temperatures. Abstracts this year will be presented in a structured fashion. In addition, electronic submission of abstracts for the first time will be possible by either disk or e-mail. This will allow for rapid transmission of information and production of abstracts, with fewer possible delays and confusion at the time of the deadline. At the 1999 meeting two new features are planned: (1) more participation for cardiothoracic residents presenting papers and special social events for residents, their families, and their chiefs; (2) a Young Academic Surgeons Forum, which is being organized by Drs Irving Kron and Edward Verrier to conduct an in-depth program discussing advantages, disadvantages of academia, and current problems of surviving in that world with a rapidly changing economic and educational environment. These programs should be helpful to young cardiothoracic surgeons, both residents and faculty. Today there is much on the agenda of every cardiothoracic surgeon, including new technology, new economics, and learning how to manage the deluge of new information. The AATS annual meeting and the Journal, provided to cardiothoracic residents free through a generous grant from St Jude Medical, are more critical than ever for the rapid and accurate dissemination of information.
