SVS rolls out Leadership Development Program

Jan 31, 2020 Re-posted from the February 2020 issue of Vascular Specialist

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) investment in accelerating the growth of vascular surgeon-leaders has begun.

Some 25 SVS members have embarked on a six-month course in developing leadership skills, as the first cohort of the new SVS Leadership Development Program.

For the past three years the SVS Leadership and Diversity Committee has been researching, studying and presenting education at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) regarding the science and discipline of leadership. Committee members have written and published more than a dozen interviews of vascular surgeons about how to lead successfully. This new comprehensive course is the logical outgrowth of these past activities, aiming to accelerate the participants’ career advancement and leadership roles in vascular societies like the SVS.

The SVS Executive Board embraced the concept, and with collaboration and support from the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society and the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, the Leadership Development Program was born. “We want to help our community of vascular surgeons make the most positive impact possible in our specialty, their workplaces and communities and other areas of importance in their lives,” said Kim Hodgson, MD, SVS president. “My only regret is that this kind of program was not in place early in my career, so I will be learning from this program as much as I can as well.”

The Leadership and Diversity Committee selected vascular surgeons who have five to 10 years in practice from among the applications received. Course activities will include self-study, monthly online education and a twoday live leadership skills course, plus recognition at the 2020 iteration of VAM in June. The program runs Jan. 6 to June 18.

The Inaugural Cohort is a diverse mix of vascular surgeons in various practice settings, locations and other key demographics, including: Trissa Babrowski, Charles Bailey, Dawn Coleman, Young Erben, Uwe Fischer, Kristina Giles, Roan Glocker, Justin Hurie, Nii-Kaby Kabutey, Michael Lieb, Shang Loh, Fatemh Malekpour and Michael McNally. Also: Nicolas Mouawad, Mark Patterson, Benjamin Pearce, Danielle Pineda, Ash Raju, Jean Marie Ruddy, Evan Ryer, Jonathan Schor, Marcus Semel, Megan Tracci, Mohamed Zayed and Jill Zink.

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