SUNDAY, 3/31/19. DAY 1 AT SGS.
Hello from Tucson! I woke up to a beautiful Arizona sunrise, with cacti as far as the eye can see; a great start to what is surely going to be an educational scientific conference of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons! Be sure to follow me on Twitter to stay in the loop real-time: @lauraknewcomb. And don’t forget to check out our conference hashtag #SGS2019.
Postgrad courses kick off
Quality improvement bootcamp
Dr. Bob Flora (@RFFlora) gave a great “Teach the Teacher” session, reviewing different methods for performing quality improvement projects in your own workspace, including the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Model for Improvement (www.IHI.org). We also had the opportunity to learn and play with QI Macros (KnowWare International Inc) and Lucid Chart (Lucid Software Inc) programs—which are excellent tools to assist in quality improvement data analysis and presentation. Try them out if you have never used them before!
Sex and surgery
The sex and surgery postgraduate course was a lively discussion centering on:
- the links between gynecologic surgery and sexual function
- how to measure sexual function and incorporate discussion into our pre- and post-operative counseling
- how to approach the patient with postoperative sexual concerns.
As surgeons, we admitted that an anatomic approach with surgery will not always be successful in treating sexual complaints, as sexuality encompasses psychological, social/cultural, interpersonal, and biological aspects. We agreed that further studies are needed to examine the issue, using sexual function as a primary endpoint, because the concern is of critical importance to our patients.
Social media workshop
The talented SGS Social Media Committee, including influencers Dr. Mireille Truong (@MIS_MDT) and Dr. Elisa Jorgensen (@ejiorgensenmd) gave us the run-down on how to host a successful Twitter journal club and how to be a responsible and influential influencer on various social media avenues. They encouraged us to take advantage of the virtual space that connects so many more people than we could interact with without it!
Hands-on laparoscopic suturing simulation
This course was an excellent comprehensive laparoscopic suturing course. It began with a detailed outline of basic principles and slowly built on these concepts until we were performing laparoscopic myomectomies on a high-fidelity model. We can’t wait to implement these principles in the operating room next week! Thanks to the talented faculty who taught all the tips and tricks of the experts!
Conservative and definitive surgical strategies for fibroid management
Drs. Megan Wasson (@WassonMegan), Arnold Advincula (@arnieadvincula), and others taught all the nuances of managing fibroids and difficult surgical cases. Participants learned several tips, tricks, and techniques to use to manage fibroids—for example the “bow and arrow” and “push and tuck” techniques when performing a hysteroscopic myomectomy with a resectoscope.
Women’s leadership forum
During the evening women’s leadership forum, Drs. Catherine Matthews and Kimberly Kenton (@KimKenton1) highlighted the differences between mentorship and sponsorship. While most female physicians identify meaningful mentorship relationships, women lack sponsorship to advance their careers. Furthermore, more women-to-women sponsorship relationships are needed to improve and achieve gender equality.
Lastly, we all enjoyed the Arizona sunset with a welcome reception on the lawn. It was a great first day and we are all looking forward to an exciting general session on Monday! Stay tuned for more!