2025 Annual Meeting

The tabs below contain the abstracts for the individual competition. This tab contains the full PDF of the program book and a copy of the meeting agenda. Both can be downloaded.

Meeting Agenda
Full Meeting Program Book w/ COI Disclosure

7:30 AM Registration & Continental Breakfast with Exhibitors

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7:30 AM Committee on Trauma & Commission on Cancer Meetings

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8:15 AM Opening Session & Welcoming Remarks

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8:30 AM Resident Paper Competitions

Bariatric & Metabolic: …………… Salon C
Clinical Oncology:…………………. Providence
General Quick Shots: …………….. Boston
General Surgery: ………………….. Merritt South
Trauma & Medical Students: ….. Augusta
Plastic Surgery……………………… Concord
Specialty Surgery …………………. Montpelier
Specialty Quick Shots…………….. Merritt North
Pediatric & Quality ……………….. Hartford

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10:00 AM Morning Break in Exhibit Area

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10:30 AM Updates from the American College of Surgeons

 

Alan Meinke,  MD, FACS and Felix Lui MD, FACS
Governors-at-Large 

 

 

Alan Meinke, MD, FACS – Having trained in a broad range of surgical skills, Dr. Meinke has focused on minimally invasive and, for the right patient, robotic surgery, as it will likely be the future of surgery. Dr. Meinke has served children ages 5+ and adults for more than 30 years as a clinical surgeon, served as the president of the American College of Surgeons Connecticut Chapter, helped to establish the statewide surgical collaborative focusing on quality initiatives that have significantly improved surgical outcomes across the state, and holds academic appointments with three medical schools.

He has been both the chief and interim chairman of the Department of Surgery at Norwalk Hospital. He is a minimally invasive surgeon at Northwell/Nuvance Health – Norwalk Campus. Dr. Meinke was graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine, and completed his internship and residency at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Meinke feels the doctor/patient relationship is sacred and should be protected.

Felix Lui, MD, FACS -Dr. Lui is board certified in general surgery and in surgical critical care by the American Board of Surgery. His clinical interests include trauma, surgical critical care, emergency and elective general surgery, re-operative surgery, sepsis and resuscitation, and shock. His research interests include shock physiology, resuscitation in trauma, pediatric trauma, and surgical infections, including necrotizing soft tissue infections, surgical education and bioethical issues in medicine.

He is certified in and is an instructor of Advanced Trauma Life Support and Advanced Trauma Operative Management. He is also certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support.

Dr. Lui earned his undergraduate degrees in Biomedical Ethics and Biology and his medical degree from Brown University. He completed his residency in general surgery at Berkshire Medical Center, University of Massachusetts School of Medicine in Pittsfield, and was fellowship trained in trauma and surgical critical care at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore. He is an Associate Professor at Yale School of Medicine Department of Surgery (Trauma).

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the structure, roles, and responsibilities of the ACS Board of Governors, including its six organizational pillars.
2. Analyze current strategic initiatives and collaborations between the Board of Governors and the ACS Board of Regents, with attention to cross-divisional projects and alignment with the 2025 ACS Strategic Plan.
3. Discuss the role of inclusive excellence, member engagement, and surgical volunteerism in supporting professional development, patient care, and global surgical outreach.
4. Apply lessons from recent Board of Governors activities and Clinical Congress sessions to improve individual leadership, advocacy, and quality improvement efforts within surgical practice.

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11:00 AM Foster Lecture: Artificial Intelligence in Surgical Decision Support Systems

Moderator: Royd Fukumoto, MD, FACS, Northwell Health/Nuvance Health, Danbury Hospital

Eric B Schneider, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgery & Associate Professor on Term, Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Medicine

Chin Siang Ong, MBBS, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Surgery (Surgical Outcomes), Yale School of Medicine

Dr. Schneider earned both his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and his doctoral degree the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. Prior to joining the faculty at Yale, Dr. Schneider served as Associate Professor of Surgery and Public Health Sciences and Vice Chair of Surgery for Health Services and Outcomes Research in the Department of Surgery at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He has served as a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and The Ohio State University. He also holds adjunct faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization focused on trauma and trauma care in multiple countries and served as the corresponding author for the World Journal of Surgery article entitled, “Implementation of the World Health Organization Trauma Care Checklist Program in 11 Centers Across Multiple Economic Strata: Effect on Care Process Measures.” He has also worked as a consultant and preceptor for the Karolinska Institutet examining the implementation of a program to promote institutional childbirth among socioeconomically disadvantaged women in Gujarat, India. He has presented his work at multiple international conferences, with a particular focus on India. He is the principal investigator at Yale for multiple research studies funded by the Department of Defense (DARPA, DHA, USUHS, etc.). Dr. Schneider has authored more than two hundred peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and trains clinical residents and research fellows in the methods and practices of health services and outcomes research. He has mentored multiple undergraduate and graduate students and more than 40 post-doctoral research fellows, most of whom were physicians he has also mentored more than a dozen surgical faculty members early in their careers.

Dr. Chin Siang Ong is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Surgery Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research at Yale School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from the National University of Singapore, a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Trained in general and cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Ong’s research bridges clinical surgery with computational and translational science. His doctoral research applied CRISPR interference and engineered tissue models to investigate molecular mechanisms of disease, motivating his transition into computational research.

He completed postdoctoral fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital and Johns Hopkins University, collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare. His research integrates artificial intelligence, biostatistics, and machine learning to analyze clinical, molecular, and imaging data to improve diagnosis, prediction, and treatment planning.

At Yale, Dr. Ong applies machine learning to multimodal biomedical data, including imaging, single-cell sequencing, and clinical text, to uncover mechanisms driving disease heterogeneity and treatment response. He led the development of SurgeryLLM, a retrieval-augmented generation large language model framework for surgical decision support and workflow enhancement.

Dr. Ong serves as Co-Investigator on two federally funded studies in head and neck cancer research and is Principal Investigator of the Yale Office of the Provost AI Initiatives Seed Grant, SurgiMind: Enhancing Surgical Practice through Advanced Large Language Model Reasoning. He is also a Collaborating Investigator on myocardial stunning research supported by the American Heart Association and a recent recipient of the 2025 AIM-AHEAD & NCATS Health Data Science Training Program Effective Use of Health Data Science Tools Instructor’s Choice Award.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the core principles of AI and Machine Learning (ML).
2. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of current AI models.
3. Integrate AI-generated analytics into individualized surgical care plans.
4. Assess the ethical, legal, and regulatory landscape of surgical AI.

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12:30 PM Fellowship Luncheon in Exhibit Hall

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1:30 PM Chapter Awards Presentations, Annual Meeting & Recognition of New Fellows

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2:15 PM Surgical Quality Lecture

Panel Session: Using AI in Our Day-to-Day Workflow – Tools, Tips, Tricks, & Emerging Best Practices

 

Moderator: Royd Fukumoto, MD, FACS, Northwell Health/Nuvance Health, Danbury Hospital

 

Panelists

 

Phil Kim, MD – Acute Care Surgeon, Hartford Hospital and member of the Hartford Healthcare Center for AI Innovation in Healthcare

Jason Dinh, MD Candidate 2026 at the Netter School of Medicine

Join us for an engaging panel session exploring practical applications of artificial intelligence in everyday surgical practice. Our diverse panel—from a medical student pioneering AI‑driven study aids, to a resident leveraging predictive analytics, to an attending who has integrated AI tools into their practice—will share real‑world tools, tips, and tricks that you can adopt immediately. You’ll hear firsthand how AI is streamlining documentation, enhancing preoperative planning, and supporting intraoperative decision making.

Panelists will also discuss emerging best practices for selecting validated platforms, ensuring data privacy, and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration. Moderated by a member of our Chapter’s leadership team, this session encourages interactive Q&A. Whether you’re AI‑curious or already using smart technologies, you’ll leave equipped with practical strategies to enhance efficiency, improve outcomes, and maintain patient safety. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how AI can transform your day‑to‑day workflow and to network with colleagues at every stage of surgical training.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe a range of AI‑driven tools and platforms for clinical documentation, preoperative planning, and intraoperative decision support.
2. Assess the suitability of specific AI applications for different roles—medical student, resident, and attending—to optimize task delegation and workflow efficiency.
3. Integrate AI‑generated analytics and predictive insights into patient care pathways to improve accuracy, efficiency, and outcomes.
4. Develop a framework for multidisciplinary collaboration and continuous performance evaluation to sustain and refine AI adoption in your practice.

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3:30 PM Resident & Medical Student Lecture: Transitions in Medical Career. Moving From Resident to Attending, Changing Jobs, Acquiring New Skills and More!

 

Moderator: Shannon Small, YFA Chair and Assistant Professor of Surgery (General, Trauma & Surgical Critical Care), Yale School of Medicine

 

 

Panelists

Alejandro Betancourt-Ramirez, MD, FACS, Chief, Acute Care, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Hartford HealthCare Medical Group

Jonathan Blancaflor, MD, FACS, YaleNewHavenHealth, Lawrence+Memorial Hospital

David S. Shapiro, MD, MHCM, FACS, University of Connecticut School of Medicine & Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine Quinnipiac University, Chair, CT Committee on Trauma

Embarking on a surgical career brings pivotal transitions—from completing residency to assuming your first attending role, exploring new job opportunities, and continually sharpening your skills. In this dynamic session, members of the Young Fellows Association will share their firsthand experiences navigating these critical milestones. Panelists will discuss practical strategies for contract negotiation, credentialing, and onboarding at your first practice. You’ll hear real‑world advice on choosing between academic versus private settings, building a professional identity, and cultivating mentorship relationships. The conversation will also cover approaches to ongoing skill acquisition—whether mastering new surgical techniques, engaging in research, or taking on leadership roles. Moderated by a Young Fellows leader, this interactive forum includes dedicated Q&A so you can get tailored insights for your own career path. Whether you’re a senior resident preparing to graduate or a medical student contemplating your future, you’ll leave equipped with actionable roadmaps and a supportive network of colleagues.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the key steps and timelines involved in transitioning from residency to an attending position, including credentialing requirements and contract negotiation strategies.
2. Evaluate practice‑setting options (academic, private, hybrid) based on personal and professional priorities, and develop criteria to guide job selection.
3. Implement structured approaches to acquiring new clinical, research, and leadership skills through mentorship, continuing education, and reflective practice.
4. Formulate a personalized professional development plan that addresses networking, work–life integration, and long‑term career goals.
5. Analyze common challenges encountered during career transitions—such as onboarding hurdles and role stress—and apply problem‑solving techniques to overcome them.

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4:15 PM 17^th Annual Surgical Skills Competition

Moderators and Curators:

 

Denise Bararjas, MD, FACS, Medical Director of The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital

 

 

 

Krishan Patel, MD, FACS, Associate Program Director, Surgery Residency
General Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, and Trauma Surgery, Northwell Health/Nuvance Health, Danbury Hospital