Robert Sweet, a urologic surgeon with the UW School of Medicine, is among a group of 91 esteemed surgeons from seven countries selected into membership or associate membership in the new American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators™. The Academy’s first induction ceremony occurred on October 3 at the John B. Murphy Memorial auditorium in Chicago.
Dr. Sweet is a Professor of Urology at the University of Washington. He serves as a provider with a focus on treating and preventing kidney stones, as well as the Medical Director of the University of Washington Medicine Kidney Stone Center. He is also the executive director of the WWAMI Institute for Simulation in Healthcare (WISH) and the Center for Research in Education and Simulation Technologies (CREST). He is the Principal Investigator of numerous simulation research and development projects. Dr. Sweet has served in leadership positions in simulation and education within the American College of Surgeons, the Society for Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, the Endourology Society and the American Urological Association. He helped develop the Surgical Simulation Fellowship Accreditation Program for the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Division of Education. Dr. Sweet has been involved in the founding of the University of Minnesota’s SimPORTAL and the University of Washington WISH.
Developed under the auspices of the ACS Division of Education, the Academy recognizes surgeon educators who have devoted their careers to surgical education. Individuals are selected as Members or Associate Members following stringent peer review. The Academy’s mission is to play a leadership role in advancing the science and practice of education across all surgical specialties, promoting the highest achievements in the lifetimes of surgeons. Academy membership carries an obligation for commitment to the Academy’s goals, which are to identify, recognize, and recruit innovators and thought leaders committed to advancing lifelong surgical education; translate innovation into actions; offer mentorship to surgeon educators; foster exchange of creative ideas; disseminate advances in surgical education; and positively impact the quality of surgical care and patient safety.
In addition to supporting the mission and goals of the Academy, members must actively participate in Academy programs and activities. “Moving forward, we plan to pursue the Academy’s goals with great enthusiasm,” said Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, FSACME, Director of the ACS Division of Education and co-chair of the Steering Committee of the Academy. “To start, small groups of Members and Associate Members will be assembled to work on addressing these goals. We also plan to publish an annual publication, Proceedings of the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators that will be launched in late 2019.”
“With highest quality patient care through education being the paramount theme of the American College of Surgeons, the establishment of the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators is an important new chapter for the ACS, the world's largest organization for surgeons," explained L.D.Britt, MD, MPH, DSc(Hon), FACS, FCCM, FRCSEng(Hon), FRCSEd(Hon), FWACS(Hon), FRCSI(Hon), FCS(SA)(Hon), FRCS(Glasg)(Hon), past president of the ACS, and co-chair of the Steering Committee of the Academy.
“This is an important time in medicine for such an accomplished and innovative group of surgeon educators to come together. Underscoring the critical importance of surgical education in a changing health care environment will be one major focus for the work of the Academy,” said ACS Executive Director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS. “We congratulate and welcome all members and associate members of the inaugural class.”
Academy membership is conferred in two categories, Member and Associate Member. For a listing of all surgeons honored with selection into the Academy visit:
https://www.facs.org/education/academy/2018selection
UW School of Medicine
The University of Washington School of Medicine is dedicated to improving the general health and well-being of the public. In pursuit of its goals, the School is committed to excellence in biomedical education, research, and health care. The School is also dedicated to ethical conduct in all its activities. As the pre-eminent academic medical center in our region and as a national leader in biomedical research, we place special emphasis on educating and training physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals dedicated to two distinct goals:
Meeting the health care needs of our region, especially by recognizing the importance of primary care and providing service to underserved populations; advancing knowledge; assuming leadership in the biomedical sciences and in academic medicine.
The School works with public and private agencies to improve health care and advance knowledge in medicine and related fields of inquiry. It acknowledges a special responsibility to the people in the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, who have joined with it in a unique regional partnership. The School is committed to building and sustaining a diverse academic community of faculty, staff, fellows, residents, and students and to assuring that access to education and training is open to learners from all segments of society, acknowledging a particular responsibility to the diverse populations within our region.
The School values diversity and inclusion and is committed to building and sustaining an academic community in which teachers, researchers and learners achieve the knowledge, skills and attitudes that value and embrace inclusiveness, equity and awareness as a way to unleash creativity and innovation.
About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org.
