Get Ready for Clinical Congress 2024 in San Francisco

Thousands of surgeons and medical professionals will join the ACS in San Francisco, California, to attend Clinical Congress 2024, October 19–22.

Addressing longtime feedback regarding the timeline for Clinical Congress, this year’s new Saturday-through-Tuesday meeting will provide the high-quality, innovative content attendees have come to expect—all while spending fewer days away from hospitals, clinics, and patients.

“Most of us belong to a number of surgical societies, and we attend those specialty meetings. But what distinguishes Clinical Congress is that we really are the House of Surgery for all surgeons. There is content that is relevant to every one of us, no matter the stage of our career, no matter our practice type or situation, no matter our specialty,” said Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, Executive Director and CEO. “We are mindful of all the things that come together to support us in our profession, and we try to cover all of that and deliver it to you in an efficient package.”

New: Early Specialty and Multidisciplinary Sessions, Focus on AI

Clinical Congress content continually evolves to meet the needs of surgeons and other attendees. Taking advantage of a new format over a full weekend, exciting and significant changes include additional thematic and specialty content during the conference’s first 2 days.

“We are adding new features to the front end of the conference that will be of real value and relevance to all surgical specialties, including new thematic tracks on education, quality, and artificial intelligence (AI),” according to Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, Director of the ACS Division of Education, noting that these tracks will provide an easy way for surgeons to follow sessions of interest in broad categories.

Specialty sessions on cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, and more will be available on Sunday and Monday, further allowing surgeons across the disciplines to conveniently attend the sessions that matter to them.

In addition, there will be an even greater emphasis on multidisciplinary panels. Sessions this year will include:

• “Fournier’s Gangrene: Multidisciplinary Management,” which is relevant to colorectal surgeons, urologic surgeons, and obstetric and gynecologic surgeons
• “Assessment and Management of Ocular, Orbital, and Skull-Based Injuries,” which is relevant to otolaryngologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, neurological surgeons, ophthalmologists, and trauma surgeons
• “Evaluation and Management of Patients with Secondary and Tertiary Renal Hyperparathyroidism,” which is relevant to endocrine surgeons, urologists, and general surgeons

“In our specialty society meetings, we find great content regarding our areas of expertise, but it’s rare to find something with the contribution of other disciplines,” said Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, FACS, Vice-Chair of the ACS Board of Regents and Chair of the Clinical Congress Program Committee. “The ACS, as the House of Surgery, brings all the surgeons together and provides the opportunity to create these multidisciplinary panels, which are of interest to a wide range of surgeons.”

The first part of the new track on AI is a special session immediately following the Martin Memorial Lecture. This session, “Generative AI Tools for Surgery: Will AI Change My Practice?” is being developed with the help of the ACS Health Informatics Committee and information technology staff and will focus on the use of AI in surgical care and surgical education.

“AI is growing by leaps and bounds, and it is rapidly becoming an integral part of what we do in surgery, both clinically and in education,” Dr. Sachdeva said. “It has developed into a discipline unto itself. So, we are trying to capture as much on AI, machine learning, and deep learning to support our practices and teaching. This first AI session, as well as the others taking place later in the conference, are going to help move the needle forward.”

In addition, the Scientific Forum’s “High-Impact Clinical Trials & Studies” session, which highlights recent clinical trials and studies from all surgical disciplines with an emphasis on research that will directly impact surgical science and practice, also will return this year. Submit your study for consideration at Clinical Congress 2024.

New Fellows

An annual highlight of Clinical Congress is the Convocation Ceremony, which confers Fellowship upon surgeons who have successfully met the College’s requirements and standards and who are committed to the ACS mission and values.

This year, reflecting the new conference timeline, the ceremony will take place on Saturday evening and will include recognition of Honorary Fellows, presentation of the Distinguished Service Award, installation of ACS Officers and Officers-Elect, and the Presidential Address.

“It is particularly special for me to attend the Convocation as a culmination of my year as ACS President,” said Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS. “I remember how important it was for me to be initiated and become a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Now, 28 years later, to be presiding over the event is quite special.”

The Convocation Ceremony also will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.

Broad-Based Content for All Surgeons

The cornerstone of Clinical Congress is an unmatched scientific and clinical education program. In addition to the new specialty and multidisciplinary sessions, popular broad-based content relevant to all surgeons will return.

More than 100 Panel Sessions will be available, covering a wide range of content that includes core general surgery topics:

• “Appendicitis: What’s Old, What’s New?”
• “The Ever-Shifting Paradigm in the Treatment of Diverticulitis”
• “Ventral Hernias in Obese Patients: How Should We Do It?”
• “The Ugly Truth Behind the Concept of Subtotal Cholecystectomy”

A returning conference favorite is the “10 Hot Topics in General Surgery” session, during which Past-President E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, and Regent Kenneth W. Sharp, MD, FACS, will moderate a wide-ranging, rapid-fire event that highlights important topics for general surgeons, including ultrasound diagnosis of inguinal hernia, endoscopic retrograde treatment for appendicitis, telesurgery, and more.

After a successful inaugural session in 2023, the Great Debates will again be a part of the Clinical Congress program—but now expanded into two sessions in order to provide extended presentation and discussion opportunities for expert panelists:

• “The Great Debate Session #1: Whole Blood Transfusion and Angioembolization in Pediatric and Adult Trauma: Life-Saving Adjuncts or Not Worth the Trouble?”
• “The Great Debate Session #2: The Challenges of Rib Fracture Fixation and Who Should Manage Specialty Surgical Complications”

Other clinical sessions of interest include a Panel Session where cases with “spectacular” significance will be presented and expert panel members will challenge each other regarding the care delivered and course of action taken; an overview of the impact of policy on the care of pregnant patients; sessions on cancer management of all types; and much more.

Many nonclinical but notable topics also will be represented, such as the intersection of a surgical career and parenthood, the role of surgeons in promoting sustainability in their practice, addressing mental health concerns in surgeons, and distinguishing medical students in a pass-fail system.

Beyond the Panel Sessions, attendees can expect to find much to learn and enjoy at Clinical Congress 2024.

Prominent Named Lecturers

Each year, the Named Lectures are among the most popular elements of Clinical Congress. Eight lecturers, including internationally known surgeons and notable figures in healthcare, will share their perspectives on medicine and surgery.

The Martin Memorial Lecture, delivered immediately after the Opening Ceremony on Sunday, will be delivered by Lester Martínez-López, MD, MPH, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs for the US Military Health System.

In his lecture, Dr. Martínez-López will share his unique insights as a military physician and current advisor to the secretary of defense and the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness to discuss “Combat Trauma: Lessons Learned and Future Challenges for Surgery.”

All lectures will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing soon after the live presentations (see graphic below).

Special Sessions on Surgeon Education, Trauma Activations Fees

In addition to the Special Session on AI, the 2024 program will include a Special Session from the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators^® on the value of the surgical education group across the surgical disciplines. Panelists will discuss specific opportunities to engage and collaborate with the surgical specialties in order to recognize surgical educators and promote the value of continuing partnership.

The third Special Session, “Behind the Curtain of Trauma Activation Fees—Impact, Potential, and Peril for Modern Trauma,” will explore the the barriers and challenges related to trauma activation fees for modern trauma systems. These controversial fees are essential for trauma centers to cover costs necessary to meet readiness standards, but their reimbursement structure and impact on the business side of trauma are often opaque. This Special Session will examine the nature of trauma activation fees, their place in the trauma system, best practices for appropriate use of trauma activation fees, and how surgeons can engage to help shape the issue.

Scientific Forum and More

The expansive Scientific Forum offers the latest high-quality, in-progress scientific and academic surgery reports. From research presentations to ePosters, the Scientific Forum offers researchers of all experience levels the opportunity to share their promising results in front of an audience of peers, mentors, and students.

Scientific Forum sessions take place Sunday through Tuesday and are arranged in a discipline-specific format (e.g., orthopaedic surgery, vascular surgery).

In addition, Video-Based Education Sessions will showcase detailed surgical procedures, while Meet-the-Expert Sessions and Town Hall Meetings will provide more informal learning experiences that will allow attendees to engage in conversations with surgeon thought-leaders and other colleagues. Additionally, the History of Surgery Poster Sessions will highlight the rich history of surgery.

In recognition of the ACS’s commitment to surgeons in all stages of their careers, the Surgery Resident Program and Medical Student Program will return this year with information and education tailored to meet the unique needs of these cohorts.

Networking and Social Events

Along with the wide spectrum of outstanding hands-on and didactic learning opportunities and timely discourse on relevant surgical topics, attendees also will have unparalleled access to peers.

“My favorite part of Clinical Congress is the interaction with surgeons of all practice patterns and specialties,” said Beth H. Sutton, MD, FACS, ACS President-Elect. “As a community surgeon, I get to interact with surgeons who are academic surgeons, who are professors and deans, who are on the cutting edge of research and everything that’s making our specialty move into the future. On the other side, I get to interact with surgeons from rural and small city practices. We all exchange ideas, get to know each other, and learn what each other needs.”

The capstone event for Clinical Congress is Taste of the City on Tuesday evening, which will showcase San Francisco’s world-class cuisine and provide impressive entertainment.

Exhibit Hall Opportunities

Throughout the conference, attendees will be able to visit ACS Central, Innovation Theater, and more than 125 companies that will display their products, innovations, and services. The Exhibit Hall provides an opportunity to explore the surgical marketplace by comparing products firsthand and planning purchases.

Two popular educational exhibits also will return this year. The ACS Surgical Metrics Project (see photo) offers an opportunity for individual surgeons to learn more about the future of digital healthcare and optimize their practice through simulation, and the Surgical Ergonomics Hands-On Clinic features ergonomic coaches helping surgeons apply ACS Surgical Ergonomics Recommendations in a simulated environment to assess and reduce their physical burden in practice. Both stations had more than 500 attendees last year, and they are expected to be just as popular in 2024.

CME Information

• For in-person registrants, up to 216.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ are available for attending live and on-demand sessions by February 24, 2025.
• For virtual registrants, up to 181.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ are available for viewing on-demand sessions by February 24, 2025.
• More than 40 sessions are designated as Credit to Address State Regulatory Mandates.
• More than 100 sessions are designated as Credit to Address Accreditation/Verification Requirements.
• 18 ticketed sessions offer Self-Assessment Credit.

Plan Your Conference and Stay on Schedule

The content at Clinical Congress 2024 will cover a spectrum of surgical topics, and no matter how many sessions you plan to attend, the College offers several options to help you create a personalized Clinical Congress schedule.

The online, interactive Clinical Congress Program Planner is available now, and the mobile app will launch this fall.

In addition, the ACS will provide updates via email and the website, including through the daily Clinical Congress News that covers major events and interesting sessions.

Register Today

This hybrid event will again offer select content in a virtual, on-demand format, which will remain available for access through February 24, 2025.

Registration is now open—and the deadline to receive the early bird registration rate is August 26. Residents and medical students may register for free through October 9.

More information will be available in the coming months. Learn more and register today at Clinical Congress 2024.