2024 AWS Annual Conference
Be Brave, Be Bold, Become

Friday, October 18 & Saturday, October 19
Thank You to All Who Joined Us!

The Association of Women Surgeons extends a heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended the 2024 AWS Annual Conference! We greatly appreciate every speaker, presenter, exhibitor, supporter, volunteer, and attendee for gathering in San Francisco for a program designed by our wonderful AWS Planning Committee around the theme, "Be Brave, Be Bold, Become." Your participation empowers women surgeons to excel in their personal and professional pursuits. Thank you!

Conference Program Book

Conference Schedule

Thursday, October 17

3:00pm-7:00pm - Registration Open

Friday, October 18

6:00am - Registration Open
6:45am - AWS Starr Posters and Continental Breakfast
8:00am - Welcome and Keynote Session: How to Get Unstuck in Your Career with Dr. Kemi Doll
9:10am - AWS Fellowship Grant Report, "An injectable biomaterial for transplant tolerance" with Dr. Holly Lewis
9:25am - Pivots Panel with Drs. Betsy Tuttle, Lisa Newman, Myriam Curet, and Melina Kibbe
10:25am - Art Wellness
10:40am - Networking Break and Exhibit Hall Open
11:20am - AJS Top Papers
12:00pm - Mid-Career Transitions with Drs. Amy Liepert, Marie Crandall, Callisia Clarke, Claire Cronin, and Cristina Ferrone
12:45pm - Business Meeting and Lunch
2:00pm - Networking Break and Exhibit Hall Open
3:15pm - Parallel Tracks

Track A: Artificial Intelligence with Drs. Andrew Gumbs, Heather Lyu, Rachael Callcut, Carla Pugh, and Jamie Robinson
Track B: Taming Toxicity with Drs. Lisa Cannada, Andrea Merrill, Joceline Vu and Amy Kite
Track C: Surgeons as Entrepreneurs with Drs. Regina Hampton-Coleman, Brittany Bankhead, Amy Vertrees, and Erin Mullins-King

4:45pm - Art Wellness
5:00pm - International Panel with Drs. Rondi Kauffmann, Mecker Moller, and Allison Davis
6:00pm - Wine & Cheese Reception
7:00pm - Registration Closes

Saturday, October 19

7:00am - Registration Open
7:00am - Wellness Activity
8:00am-2:00pm - High School Outreach Program
8:00am - Continental Breakfast
9:00am - Workshops

Workshop A: Creative Writing with Drs. Katayoun Madani, Andrea Merrill, Amy Liepert, and Simin Golestani
Workshop B: Navigating the Glass Cliff with Drs. Luz Rodriguez, Dana Telem, Healther Yeo, and Herb Chen.

10:30am - Break
10:45am - Workshops

Workshop A: Personal Branding with Dr. Sacha Awwa
Workshop B: Negotiation with Dr. Jessica Minesinger

1:00pm - Registration Closes
5:00pm - Medical Student/Resident Reception

Sunday, October 20

2:00pm to 5:00pm - AWS Coaching Session (invitation only)
5:00pm to 8:00pm - Registration Open
6:00pm to 7:30pm - Women in Surgery Reception
7:30pm to 10:00pm - AWS Foundation Awards Dinner and Gala

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Kemi Doll

Kemi M. Doll, MD MS
Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UW School of Medicine
Adjunct Professor, Department of Health Systems and Population Health, UW School of Public Health

Dr. Kemi Doll is a physician, surgeon, researcher, advocate and coach. In her own career, Dr. Doll is fellowship-trained gynecologic oncologist and health services researcher. She started her faculty position in 2016 and skyrocketed to the top of her field in her work to transform the research on racial disparities in endometrial cancer. She has received grants from the NIH, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others. Dr. Doll’s work has been featured in multiple national media outlets including The New York Times, Good Morning America, NPR, and BET. She is the co-founder of ECANA: The Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African Americans and the Founding Director of The Gynecologic Research and Cancer Equity (GRACE) Center.

Dr. Doll is also founder and CEO of KD Coach LLC, an exclusive coaching company for women of color in academic medicine. KD Coach LLC has coached over 150 women who have transformed their careers and secured millions of dollars in grant funding and institutional support.

As the host of the Your Unapologetic Career Podcast, Dr. Doll sheds on light on common challenges that face high-achievers in academic medicine and effective strategies to walk away from institutional mindset and towards nourishing and fulfilling careers. With over 12,000 Twitter followers and a spirited presence on Instagram, she uses multiple mediums to spread her messages of empowerment far and wide.