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On the Cutting Edge is an e-newsletter from the Society for Vacular Sugery reporting new training programs, up-to-date vascular research and other vascular-related information for students and residents.
To be included on the e-newsletter distribution list, send your email address to studentresident@vascularsociety.org.
View previous issues:
April/May 2009
February 2009
August 2009
Welcome to On the Cutting Edge, an e-newsletter from the Society for Vascular Surgery reporting new training programs, vascular research and other vascular-related information for residents and students.
If you have any comments or suggestions for making this newsletter more effective, please email studentresident@vascularsociety.org.
2009 Vascular Annual Meeting Poster Winners
Vascular Surgery Fellow, General Surgery Resident and Medical Student Win Awards
*Presenters are listed with in bold.
First Place:
PP11. Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Stent Fracture and Deformation
Following Carotid Artery Stenting
Catherine K. Chang, Chetan P. Huded, Richard J. Powell, Dartmouth Hitchcock
Medical Center, Lebanon, NH
Catherine is a second year vascular surgery fellow and a SVS Candidate member.
Second Place:
PP100. Risk Factors and Prognosis Of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation In Vascular
Surgery Patients
Tamara A. Winkel, Olaf Schouten, Sanne E. Hoeks, Willem-Jan Flu, Hence J. M.
Verhagen, Don Poldermans, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Tamara is a general surgery resident.
Third Place:
PP41. Long Term Results of Open Versus Endovascular Revascularization of
Superficial Femoral Artery Occlusive Disease: A Case Control Series
Eva M. Rzucidlo1, Aja Bjerke2, Daniel Walsh1, Richard Powell1,
1Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; 2Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH
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Aja is a third year medical student and a |
Mentor Program for Residents and Students at 2009 Vascular Annual Meeting
At the 2009 Vascular Annual Meeting the SVS Resident and Student Recruitment Committee launched the SVS Welcome Buddy/Mentor program. The program matched 96 medical students and general surgery residents with an SVS member as a resource to help guide them through the Meeting and give them insight on the specialty.
Many mentors chose to meet with their assigned students/residents at the Welcome Reception for Residents and Students on June 10. Below are some photos from this event.
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Emily Spangler, a fourth year medical student |
A view of the reception. |
Congratulations to the 2009-2010 SVS General Surgery Resident Section Governing Council
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Matthew J. Alef, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PGY-5
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Jonathan Bath, MD, UCLA, PGY-3
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Kristina Giles, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, PGY-3
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Traci A. Kimball, MD, University of Colorado, PGY-6
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Susanna M. Nazarian, MD, Johns Hopkins University, PGY-7
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Elizabeth Pocock, MD, UC San Diego, PGY-5
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Chandu Vemuri, MD, University of Michigan, PGY-5
Congratulations to the 2009-2010 SVS Medical Student Section Governing Council
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Noah Cohen, SUNY Upstate Medical University, MS3
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Elizabeth (Liz) Genovese, University of Pittsburgh, MS4
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Gerhardt Konig, University of Pittsburgh, MS4
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Andrew Leake, Eastern Virginia Medical School, MS3
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Prathima Nandivada, Stony Brook University, MS4
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Tyler J. Wallen, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, MS2
- Devin Zarkowsky, Albany Medical College, MS4 collagebold="true"/>
General Surgery Resident Profiles
These profiles showcase current general surgery residents who will be starting a vascular surgery fellowship program in July 2010.
Name:
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
General Surgery Residency Program: University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga
Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program: University of Alabama Birmingham
How did you get interested in vascular surgery? While studying Bioengineering in graduate school, I participated in a clinical rotation with a local vascular surgeon (Eugene Langan, III, MD Greenville Hospital System). I shadowed him in the clinic and operating room to see how vascular engineering was utilized in daily patient care. The clinical side of the equation became so much more interesting to me; I applied to medical school to become a vascular surgeon.
What role have mentors played in your decision to choose vascular surgery? My decision was really made prior to medical school and residency (see above). I'd have to say that single experience sent me down the vascular path. Our Vascular group in Chattanooga has six members who are all very interested in student and resident development. Their guidance helped confirm that vascular surgery was the right choice for me. They also have extensive contacts in the vascular community and were able to point me in the right direction when it came time to choose a fellowship.
After your fellowship, do you plan to enter academia or private practice? I'm undecided at the moment but am leaning towards academics. I enjoy teaching students and other residents and have an active role in our curriculum development. It's hard to imagine a career where I don't have some impact on surgical education.
Where do you see the vascular surgery specialty in five or ten years? From an educational standpoint, I see the field ultimately diverging from general surgery. I suppose that the five-year model will take hold and that will eventually be the primary method to obtain a vascular certificate. As the population ages, I see nothing but high demand for vascular specialists in years to come.
Based on the last ten years of innovation, I can't imagine what technologies will be available in the next decade. We are already seeing patient-specific branched endovascular devices for aortic aneurysm repair. Money to support new
technology (or lack thereof) may limit the extent of the endovascular envelope. With so much change forthcoming in the health care system, anything is possible.
What would you recommend residents and students interested in vascular surgery do to strengthen their profile before they apply to programs? One of the first things mentioned in my interviews was letters of recommendation. Good letters of recommendation carry great weight during applications and may be able overcome weaker test scores, in my opinion. Of course, having a good test score in your corner never hurts.
It also is helpful to have faculty able to make phone calls on your behalf when nearing decision time. These require you to be very visible on your vascular rotation so they have an honest opinion of your interest, skill set and personality when they network with colleagues about you.
Laboratory time and publications are important, but depend heavily on what type of place you will apply to in the end. Extracurricular activities are more difficult to come by in residency than medical school, but involvement on
committees and demonstration of leadership potential can certainly bolster your application (unless over involvement takes away from performance on standardized test scores).
Having an idea whether or not you will be going into academics after fellowship also may change the requirements of your application. More laboratory time and publications can help land the fellowships that lead to academic apointment tracks.
Latest News from the Journal of Vascular Surgery®
Women and Minorities Are Under-Represented in Randomized, Controlled Trials
Enrollment demographics published in many U.S. vascular surgery randomized control trials under-represent women as well as race or ethnic minorities, according to a new study published in the Society for Vascular Surgery's® August 2009 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery®.
According to the research team from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, these groups of patients are generally under-reported in trials for aortic aneurysms, carotid artery stenosis and peripheral artery disease. Their retrospective study was comprised of United States-based RCTs from 1983 through 2007 and focused on three broadly defined vascular procedures - aortic aneurysm repair, carotid revascularization, and lower extremity revascularization.
Data was collected and analyzed with regard to gender and ethnicity, study parameters, funding source and geographic region. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database also was analyzed to obtain group-specific procedure frequency as an estimate of procedure frequency in the general population.
Strategies for Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease Compared
Lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects more than eight million Americans, with significant risks of limb loss, disability and death. Treatment of lower extremity PAD focuses on restoring normal blood supply to the
affected limb. Traditional treatment, such as surgical bypass, is effective but invasive. In recent years, many patients have been treated with newer endovascular interventions, using catheter-based devices to reopen peripheral
arteries in a less-invasive fashion. According to past research, it is unclear if these newer treatments are as effective as conventional surgical bypass in preventing amputation.
Researchers from Dartmouth-Hitchock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, N.H. have published a new study in the July issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery® about the trends in lower extremity endovascular interventions (angioplasty and atherectomy), lower extremity bypass surgery and major above and below the knee amputations in Medicare beneficiaries (Part B claims). The study was done between 1996 and 2006.
New SVS Vascular Surgery Trainee Section
2010 Vascular Fellows Can Join as SVS Candidate Members
Have you matched into a vascular surgery fellowship program for 2010? General surgery residents who have matched into a 2010 vascular surgery fellowship are eligible to apply for SVS Candidate Membership.
Candidate membership may be granted to physicians who are currently enrolled or accepted into accredited vascular surgery residency training programs in the United States and Canada.
A letter from the Program Director of the approved vascular residency program stating that the applicant has been accepted into the residency program, or is currently a resident in vascular surgery, must accompany the application.
Once your Candidate membership is approved, you will automatically become a member of the newly formed SVS Vascular Surgery Trainee Section.
Click here for more information and an application.
Podcasts
SVS posts new podcasts each month on iTunes in the Science & Medicine podcast section. These podcasts address a broad scope of vascular surgery topics and career opportunities. The most recent podcasts include:
- Management of Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia
- Non-invasive Vascular Disease
- Endovascular Techniques for Ruptured Aortic Aneurysms
Update on Vascular Surgery Integrated Training Programs
In 2006 ACGME approved the Primary Certificate in Vascular Surgery, which eliminates the requirement for certification in general surgery prior to certification in vascular surgery. You now have the option of more than one training pathway.
0+5 track - The vascular surgery integrated track is for trainees who match during medical school. Three years are devoted to vascular surgery and two years to core surgical training. Core surgery rotations may occur throughout the
first four years of training. Eligible for board certification in vascular surgery only.
Current 0+5 programs include:
- Cleveland Clinic Foundation
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
- TriHealth (Good Samaritan Hospital), Cincinnati, Ohio
- Indiana University School of Medicine
- Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine
- McGraw Medical Center of Northwestern University
- Stanford University
- SUNY at Stony Brook
- University of Arizona
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- University Hospital/University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- University of Massachusetts
- University of Michigan
- University of North Carolina Hospitals
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Medical Education Program
- University of Rochester
- University of South Florida
- Yale-New Haven Medical Center
As new programs are approved by ACGME we continually update VascularWeb.org as program information becomes available.
For more information on the 0+5 track, as well as the ESP 4+2 track and the traditional
5+2 track, visit VascularWeb.org.
Application and Interview Resources
Podcast: Choosing a Vascular Surgery Fellowship
Choosing a fellowship is an exciting, albeit stressful time in a young surgeon's career. An applicant should look for a program that has an adequate volume and distribution of surgical and interventional procedures. That is, infra-renal
aortic and thoracic stentgrafts, diagnostic and therapeutic peripheral interventions, open aortic reconstructions, infrainguinal bypass, and carotid-based procedures, including carotid stenting. Each program will have a different distribution as well as an increased participation in either open or endovascular treatments.
Listen to the podcast.
Article: Tips on Applying for Vascular Surgery Residency Programs
Article written by a young vascular surgeon on the interview and match process.
View the article.
Frequently Asked Questions Document on Vascular Surgery Residency Application & Interview Process
The data in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on the vascular surgery residency application and interview process was collected from vascular residents enrolled in vascular surgery programs in 2008-2009. It is intended to be used only as a resource to medical students and general surgery residents as they research, apply, and interview at vascular surgery residency programs. Please note the FAQ data is not to be regarded as an endorsement or policy statement from the Society for Vascular Surgery.
Find A Vascular Surgeon Mentor
Need some guidance on a career in vascular surgery? Have you tried the SVS online Mentor Match-up feature that
matches medical students and general surgery residents with vascular surgeon mentors?
We have over 120 vascular surgeon mentors ready to answer any of your career questions, and support you through your training.
Networking Sections for Medical Students and General Surgery Residents
Get direct access to valuable career resources by joining the SVS Medical Student Section or the SVS General Surgery Resident Section. The Sections serve as platforms for medical students and general surgery residents to network
with similarly interested students or residents.
Learn more about the Sections.
Speak to A Vascular Surgeon
Need more insight on career paths in vascular surgery? SVS will connect you with a vascular surgeon to speak directly
with about the career opportunities in vascular surgery.
Email studentresident@vascularsociety.org for more details.
© 2009 Society for Vascular Surgery
Updated August 2009
Society for Vascular Surgery - 633 N. St. Clair, 24th Floor; Chicago, IL 60611; Phone: 312-334-2300 or 800-258-7188; Fax: 312-334-2320; Email: vascular@vascularsociety.org
© 2009 VascularWeb. All rights reserved. Use of the VascularWeb site constitutes acceptance of all of the policies, rules and regulations for the site.
© 2009 VascularWeb. All rights reserved. Use of the VascularWeb site constitutes acceptance of all of the policies, rules and regulations for the site.