President's Letter
Happy Autumn! As the leaves turn and sweaters get pulled out of closets here in the Northeast, I once again am filled with gratitude and thanks for your trust and support as I move into the second half of my SGS presidential term. As I reflect on the past several months, I’d like to update you on some of what the Executive Committee (EC) has been working on.
We recently had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Caroline Cox, Chair of the Pelvic Anatomy Group’s (PAG) Steering Committee. Dr. Cox discussed the PAG’s Digital Library. The Library has been a complex and robust project and will soon be launched. We are planning full access to be available to all SGS members with log-in credentials, non-members involved in anatomical teaching (professors, residency and fellowship directors), and non-member learners (medical students, residents and fellows in OBGYN or related fields such as physiotherapy, etc.) Like protocols in place with the existing SGS video library, non-members will request an account with proof of their institutional position or student enrollment. This is such exciting work, and I am incredibly grateful for the large amount of time and energy the PAG has dedicated to this incredible resource.
The EC has also discussed our Society relationship with the Green Journal and made the decision to sign an agreement to publish the 2025 Annual Meeting abstracts in the Green Journal. This decision was supported by the Board and made for financial reasons and other potential synergies. We are also proud to have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding which outlines several areas of ongoing and potential new collaboration between SGS and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In August, Dr. Jaime Long, Education Committee Chair, joined the EC and reported on the SGS Simulation Advisory Service, which you may have seen being advertised via newsletters and online. She reviewed the results of the first consults which have been completed, featuring topics such as a pilot vaginal hysterectomy simulation, a fundamentals of vaginal surgery curriculum, and emergency team training. This is an incredible service, so I urge you or any of your colleagues to take advantage of the expertise of the Advisory Service. In addition, we have a really exciting addition to the Annual Meeting in March - the brand new Simulation Lounge is planned for Monday morning from 6:30 - 7:30 am, offering an opportunity to showcase the latest in surgical simulation innovations, inventions, and methodologies. We were thrilled to receive many innovative submissions for this inaugural year and hope to see many of you there browsing as you enjoy your coffee before our first full scientific session.
I am really excited to meet with the talented SGS Board for our interim meeting later this month in Washington DC. We have a packed agenda, updating each other on relevant work being done in different committees. I continue to be impressed and am immensely appreciative of how the work of our committees comes together to support the SGS Strategic Plan. We have also reserved time to discuss ways SGS can continue to serve its mission to promote excellence in gynecologic surgery through acquisition of knowledge and improvement of skills, advancement of basic and clinical research, and professional and public education.
I just got word we received the highest number of abstract and video submissions to date for our Annual Scientific Meeting being held in Rancho Mirage in March and attended the video and abstract review kick off calls. I can’t wait to see the cutting-edge science and submissions this year and am really looking forward to a stimulating and fun meeting. Hopefully your calendars are marked!
As always, please feel free to reach out to me any time with questions or ideas.
Hoping you can make time for some fall adventures!
Best,
Star
Star Hampton, MD
SGS President 2024-2025
