2024 Conley Lecture • Surgical Professionalism and Autonomy in the 21st Century

This episode offers an overview of the recent ACS Leadership & Advocacy Summit, held in Washington, DC, including popular sessions on knowing your worth as a surgical leader and learning how to lead at every level. Michael J. Sutherland, MD, MBA, FACS, Senior Vice President of ACS Member Services, discusses these sessions and more with Kimberly M. Lumpkins, MD, MBA, FACS, the Dr. J. Laurance Hill Endowed Professor in Pediatric Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, and Joshua M. V. Mammen, MD, PhD, FACS,  the Merle M. Musselman Centennial Professor of Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.     HOST: Michael J. Sutherland, MD, MBA, FACS, Senior Vice President, ACS Division of Member Services, Chicago, IL    GUESTS: Kimberly M. Lumpkins, MD, MBA, FACS, Pediatric Surgeon-in-Chief at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital and the Dr. J. Laurance Hill Endowed Professor in Pediatric Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD    Joshua M. V. Mammen, MD, PhD, FACS, Merle M. Musselman Centennial Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Department of Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE    Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery 

In this episode, ACS Committee on Trauma (COT) Chair Jeffrey D. Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS, and Rural Trauma Committee Program Lead Michael Person, MD, FACS, discuss key takeaways and lessons learned from the recent COT Annual Meeting in Chicago. They talk about the 10th anniversary of the Future Trauma Leaders Program, pre-hospital blood protocols, the importance of a rural trauma system, and trauma readiness in the United States in the event of a mass population event.   PARTICIPANTS: Jeffrey D. Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS, Chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma, Birmingham, Alabama Michael Person, MD, FACS, COT Region Chief, Sioux Falls, South Dakota   Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery

In this episode, trauma surgeon Dany Westerband, MD, FACS, talks with John Sutyak, MD, FACS, and Joakim Jorgensen, MD, FACS, about the recent ACS Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Global Symposium that attracted 400 people from 48 countries. The meeting was held in Chicago in March 2025. They discuss key takeaways from the symposium and preparations to launch ATLS 11 later this year.    HOST: Dany Westerband, MD, FACS, ATLS International Program Director from Silver Spring, Maryland    GUESTS: John Sutyak, MD, FACS, member of the ACS Committee on Trauma Executive Committee and ATLS Chair, from Springfield, Illinois  Joakim Jorgensen, MD, FACS, ATLS Region Chief from Hovik, Norway    Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery 

This episode features a fireside chat with Keith D. Lillemoe, MD, FACS, who is the surgeon in chief at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the W. Gerald Austen Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Lillemoe talks about his surgical career, developing expertise in gallbladder and biliary tract disease, and lessons learned along the way. The program host is Dr. Mohsen Shabahang for the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.   Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery.

Graduating from residency or fellowship to attending is a pivotal moment for surgeons in training. Jyoti D. Chouhan, DO, PharmD, MBA, FACS, from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, talks with three of her colleagues about mentorship, tips to prepare for surgery, managing complications, work-life integration, and other advice to make the transition as smooth as possible.   Presented by the ACS Women in Surgery Committee, guests include: Tiffany Sinclair, MD, FACS Cheyenne Sonntag, MD, MS Irlna Trantchou, MD, FACS, FASCRS   Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery.

This episode features a fireside chat with ACS Past President Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, who is the dean and chief academic officer at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Ford talks about his humble beginnings, his passion for surgery, lessons learned, and leadership skills that have helped him become the world-renowned surgeon he is today. The program host is Dr. Mohsen Shabahang for the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.   Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery.

This episode features a fireside chat with Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS, a celebrated trauma surgeon, surgical educator, and violence-prevention innovator from Philadelphia, who talks about her unique career journey, opportunities for super-subspecialization, lessons learned, and the benefits of using a performance psychologist. The program host is Mohsen Shabahang, MD, PhD, FACS, for the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.   Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery.

This episode features Mark C. Weissler, MD, FACS, an otolaryngologist and head-and-neck surgeon from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who delivered the J. Conley Ethics and Philosophy Lecture at Clinical Congress 2024. In his lecture, “Surgical Professionalism and Autonomy in the 21st Century,” Dr. Weissler will unravel the profound shifts in surgery that have quietly reshaped the profession in ways some may not have fully realized, such as the loss of autonomy and the transfer of regulation to external entities. He also answers pressing ethical and moral questions from the surgeon audience. Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery.

This episode features Declan J. Magee, MB, BCh, FRCSI, a retired surgeon from Dublin, Ireland, who gave the Distinguished Lecture of the International Society of Surgery at Clinical Congress 2024. In his lecture, “Global Surgery: A Tale of Two Colleges,” Dr. Magee addresses the gap between the surgical “haves” and “have nots”—something the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa are working to address.   Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery

This episode features Jo Buyske, MD, FACS, president and CEO of the American Board of Surgery, who gave the Olga Jonasson Lecture at Clinical Congress 2024. In her lecture, “Not on My Watch,” Dr. Buyske describes traits shared by surgeons leaders, including taking responsibility for the whole patient.   Talk about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #HouseofSurgery