Welcome

COVID-19 UPDATE as of 3/11/2020: Due to the rapid developments around the spread of COVID-19, the AATS 100th Annual Meeting will not take place in April 2020. More details may be found at aats.org. As a result, we regret to inform you that all WTS in-person meetings and receptions will also be cancelled. WTS will continue to monitor the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its impact on our organizational activities, and – most important – the impact on our members and staff. Our top priority is the health and safety of our members and staff. All updates will continue to be shared on the WTS website.

Latest News:

    • Check out this informational page on CoVID-19 and how it relates to cardiothoracic surgeons through CTSNet. They would welcome submissions to continuously update the CoVID-19 resource list –  https://www.ctsnet.org/article/covid-19-resources
    • The application for the 2020 WTS Thistlethwaite Scholarship is now open. Eligible applicants must apply online at https://sts.smapply.io/prog/wts_thistlethwaite_scholarship/. The application deadline is Friday, April 10, 2020, 11:59 p.m. CT.
    • Check out this link to read about Carolyn Dubeau and Rachel Lewis’s experiences as the recipients of the Scanlan/WTS Traveling Mentorship Award
    • Check out our latest featured surgeon, Dr. Stephanie Mick! Nominate women thoracic surgeons whom you’d like to see featured here.
    • Joint Association of Women Surgeons/Women in Thoracic Surgery TweetChat on February 17th at 8PM EST! Follow by hashtag #AWSchat.
As we look forward to the upcoming chat, we invite you to check out this blog on the AWS website, written by Drs. Antonoff and Corsini, entitled “Mentorship: Vital to Women on Both Sides of the Relationship.” https://blog.womensurgeons.org/mentorship/mentorship-vital-to-women-on-both-sides/
 
    • We are pleased to share our first series of video blogs.  Be sure to watch them all!
    • Check out this link to see the latest Women in Thoracic Surgery Leadership Roster!
    • Check out our latest featured surgeons, Drs. Melissa Levack and Cherie Erkmen! Nominate women thoracic surgeons whom you’d like to see featured here.
    • Read this great blog post on our Resident’s Corner, by Dr. Brandi Scully, entitled When Gender Bias in Surgery is Explicit.
    • Make a contribution to Women in Thoracic Surgery.
    • Read the latest Oracle from Summer 2019, featuring
      • A letter from WTS President, Shanda H. Blackmon, MD, MPH, FACS
      • Interview with Living Legend, Dr. Valerie Rusch, by Melanie Edwards, MD
      • Lessons Learned (the hard way) From Infertility
      • Reflection from Brigid Scanlan-Eiynck Memorial Traveling Mentorship Award Recipient, Stephanie Nguyen, MD
      • Scholarship Opportunities
      • New AATS Inductees
      • Surviving The Imposter Syndrome by Oracle Editor, Erin Gillaspie, MD, MPH
      • Why Join the American College of Surgeons by Virginia Litle, MD, FACS

Elizabeth Stephens, MD, PhD & Shanda Haley Blackmon, MD, MPH, representing the 1st woman Cardiac surgeon and 1st woman Thoracic surgeon hired to Mayo Clinic Rochester. “Not an easy path, too many sleepless nights to count, not without sacrifice, but tons of joy.“

    • Check out this fantastic photo of the female faculty and residents from Stanford, shared by WTS’s Leah Backhus, MD.

Female faculty and residents from Stanford University

  • WTS Unconscious Bias Educational Session videos from the STS 55th Annual Meeting in San Diego, now available! Watch featured presentations from Drs. Jessica Donington, DuyKhanh Ceppa, Jane Yanagawa and Robert S.D. Higgins. Experience more of the exceptional content that was presented during the 2019 STS Annual Meeting from the comfort of your home or office. Learn how at sts.org/amonline.
  • Women As One aims to broaden and promote the global talent pool in medicine by providing unique professional opportunities to female physicians.
  • Pictured below, 2019 WTS Intuitive Robotic Fellowship recipients and their surgical assistants attend a didactic session and lab practice in Atlanta.
  • Read the brand new blog in the Residents’ Corner, entitled Accepting Help as a Resident, by Dr. Erin Corsini
  • Check out this link to read about Jessica Hudson’s experience as the recipient of the Scanlan/WTS Traveling Mentorship Award
  • You can request a WTS mentor online, using this simple link and web form! Check it out–there are mentors waiting!
  • Residents and fellows, we now have a corner of our website just for you! Here you’ll find links and articles geared to residents, as well as featured profiles of women CT surgery residents!
  • The WTS would like to share the following resource with our members: Sexual Harassment of Women
    Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2018)
  • WTS Contribution to #NYerORCoverChallenge: On April 3, 2017, The New Yorker’s Health, Medicine & the Body Issue this year featured the animated cover “Operating Theatre,” by the French artist Malika Favre.  Since that time, the cover has been replicated by women surgeons all over the world.  Check out these photos of WTS members at AATS recreating the famed New Yorker cover art as part of the social media movement, the #NYerORCoverChallenge! In addition, read more about the movement on CTSNet, at this link!

NYerORCoverChallenge1NYerORCoverChallenge3NYerORCoverChallenge2

  • We are excited to share Nora Burgess’s presentation from the STS reception, highlighting 30 years of important WTS history!
  • Check out this great video! We are pleased to share this video, featuring our loved ones, explaining what it’s like to be a CT surgeon.   The video debuted at our 30th anniversary celebration and was a huge hit!

Helpful Resources