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Society of Clinical Surgery Meets at UC San Diego

November 20, 2017 

The Department of Surgery was pleased to host the 174th Annual Meeting of the Society of Clinical Surgery (SCS), November 12-14, 2017. It was the first time UC San Diego has hosted the prestigious event since the founding of the SCS in 1903.

The SCS brings together nationally recognized leaders in surgery who, through observation and discourse, help to enhance their own practices as well as that of the host institution. Members include primarily general surgery surgeons (i.e., cardiothoracic, pediatric, vascular, transplant, surgical oncology, minimally invasive surgery, breast, and colorectal) and many leaders in American surgery.

This year's activities were hosted in the newly completed Jacobs Medical Center, and the stunning Altman Clinical & Translational Research Institute, and included a robust morning of operative clinics—including Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy surgery, Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), Vascular, Thoracic, hepatectomy, and complex minimally invasive surgery—and an afternoon of scientific presentations highlighting the cutting-edge research occurring at UC San Diego.

UC San Diego's Department of Surgery is dedicated, fundamentally, to providing the best care possible to our patients, both current and future. The Society of Clinical Surgery throughout its history has exemplified this same spirit.


History of the Society of Clinical Surgery

The Society of Clinical Surgery was founded in 1903 as a travel club for young surgeons. Charter members included James G. Mumford, E. Amory Codman, George E. Brewer, Harvey Cushing, Charles H. Frazier, George W. Crile, the Mayo brothers, and John C. Munro. The principal directive of the SCS was to establish a society that would serve as a vehicle for exceptional young and mid-level academic surgeons to learn from each other and about their respective host institutions.

The format is that of a traveling society in which annual meetings would be held at a chosen host institution. The scientific program includes a morning of observation in the operative theater (operating rooms) where host surgeons display their skills, techniques, and resources to the members. Operative viewing is followed by an afternoon session of host scientific sessions highlighting the scientific activities of the host institution faculty. A separate day of social activities for members and their guests is also part of the meeting the intent of which is to highlight the unique environment of the host cities.

Active membership is limited to 60 and election into the society must occur prior to the age of 45 years and continues to the age of 55 at which point they can elect to remain as a senior member and participate in the meetings, but not administration of the Society. Depending upon the meeting site, between 50-80 active and senior members attend the annual meeting.

Learn More about SCS