- Guest Speakers
e.g. specialty areas, residency directors, experiences abroad, women in surgery, community & rural surgeons - Skill Labs
- Anatomy sessions
- Journal clubs
- “After-the Match” meeting
- Shadow clinical experiences (e.g. trauma, OR)
- Community service projects
- Research link-ups
- Rounds with the chairperson
- Social events (Dinner, case discussions)
Specific topics for meetings or types of events are quite varied from school to school but can be categorized into several main areas. Probably the most common type is to address career issues. This would include such things as having surgeons discuss their specialties, what their life is like in the real world, what types of cases they are doing, the issue of women in surgery, family life, and how to go about applying for residencies. The typical format for this type of event is a meeting with invited speakers. The best speakers are those who avoid slides, and are engaging and interactive. Some groups have established chapters of theAssociation of Women Surgeons.
Another frequent and popular type of event is to offer clinical experiences in the pre-clinical years. Examples include shadowing of faculty, spending time on clinical services, for example taking call with the trauma team, linking up with third and fourth year students in their rotations, making rounds in the OR, use of video technology and live tele-surgery. One particularly popular event is to develop a skills session where students can get a hands-on introduction to techniques such as laparoscopy, endoscopy or suturing.
The Interest Group can also be a mode for identification and facilitation of research experiences, linking students with interested faculty, providing mutual benefits and strong mentoring relationships. Some groups have even established an ongoing database to keep track of these opportunities.
And finally, there can be a variety of events that provide more of a socializing aspect, allowing students to see surgeons in a less intimidating atmosphere. These can range from informal get-togethers to formal dinners, Grand Rounds, and some groups have even arranged for community service projects.