ACS Bulletin - October 2017

For several years, the American College of Surgeons (ACS)

International Relations Committee has suggested uses for funds from a generous donor for surgical education intended to benefit young international surgeons. Initially, support was provided to a few international surgeons to attend the annual Clinical Congress.

More recently, the committee
proposed that the College’s
international chapters compete
to develop and present original
surgical education courses
using local and international
Fellows as faculty. The Dr. Pon
Fund International Chapter
Opportunity program, named
for Pon Satitpunwaycha, MD,
FACS, who is funding the
program, has thus far assisted
two international chapters
in presenting an original
surgical education course.

The Brazil Chapter of the ACS offered the first program, Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Review Course, September

29–October 1, 2016. The 200
participants included 80 medical
students, 60 surgical residents,
and 60 surgeons. Highlights of
the program included a study
of digestive hemorrhage and a
discussion of “damage control
surgery.” Faculty members were
from Brazil and several other
Latin American countries, in
addition to the U.S. The course
was offered at Universidade
de Santo Amaro, Sao Paulo.
The Brazil Chapter presented
a plaque commemorating
the course to ACS Executive
Director David B. Hoyt, MD,
FACS, at Clinical Congress 2016,