PD Member of the Month

Bill Beckerman, MD

Associate Professor of Surgery, Program Director

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

What is your personal background in vascular surgery education (how long have you worked in the vascular field, why did you choose vascular surgery, etc.)?

I was an early 0+5 integrated resident at Mount Sinai after hearing about the new training paradigm from a student one year senior to me, Dan Fremed, now a good friend and vascular surgeon. I've been on faculty at Rutgers since graduation, first serving as Associate Program Director and now Program Director for the last three years.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? as a vascular surgery Program Director? What is the most challenging part of your job?

Most rewarding part of being a surgeon here is seeing good outcomes in patients who have been referred to us for their complexity. Most rewarding part of being a PD is seeing past residents you've mentored showing their tough cases after they graduate.

What are your personal goals within the vascular field?

I would like to be able to offer cutting edge vascular surgical options to patients regardless of their complexity, and continue to collaborate with fellow surgeons on how best to improve patient care.

If you had a blank check to change medical education in America, what would you do first?

Pay housestaff appropriately for their expertise and the hours they work.

From your perspective, what qualities make a successful vascular surgery applicant?

Exposure to the field, tenacity, collegiality.

What is a "fun fact" about yourself that you would like others to know?

My mood on Monday mornings can be directly linked to how poorly the New York Giants played the day before.