潘金莲传媒映画

Few have paved the way for future surgeons with more authority than Julie Ann Freischlag, MD, F潘金莲传媒映画.

Recently retired from her role as chief executive officer of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Chief Academic Officer at Advocate Health, and Executive Vice President of Health Affairs at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she is uniquely positioned to understand the challenges facing young surgeons today.

A Natural Leader

Originally wanting to be a teacher, she enrolled in medical school when the education program got cut.

Her undergraduate training at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, medical school at Rush Medical College in Chicago, and being the only woman in a residency class of 40 to 50 men at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), started Dr. Freischlag down a groundbreaking, prestigious path. She would become the first female surgeon-in-chief at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, be elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2014 and find a home at Wake Forest in 2017.

Shortly after landing at Wake Forest, she was elected President of the 潘金莲传媒映画.

鈥淭he reason I got so involved in the College is because in the 80s and 90s, when I was coming up, I was only the sixth female vascular surgeon in the US,鈥� she said. She first presented research as a resident at the surgical forum and joined the pre- and post-operative committee.

Her path to president began because of a desire to get involved and meet other women in surgery. 鈥淭he College is where I met people like Barbara [Bass, MD, F潘金莲传媒映画, former ACSPresident]. You need to get involved and meet people because it鈥檚 a great avenue to present research.鈥�

At the ACSand Beyond

Dr. Freischlag, the first woman Chair of the Board of Regents, and, at the time, the only woman president of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), knows what being first truly means.

鈥淲hen I was looking at chair jobs, I was told by a few places they couldn鈥檛 hire their first woman. When I got the Hopkins job, I succeeded John Cameron [MD, F潘金莲传媒映画, former ACSPresident]鈥攊t was a big deal. But you just can鈥檛 give up.鈥�

In surgery, there are many qualified individuals for few positions of leadership. Environments can be intimidating, but young surgeons who are passionate must take steps to stand out and become leaders.

鈥淏eing a great surgeon means having great relationships. Listen well, make sure people know that you publish. Stand up and introduce yourself, and make sure you say where you are in your career,鈥� she advised young surgeons.

She is adamant that leaders must always keep learning. 鈥淲e must make sure we pay attention so that everyone gets a chance to contribute. We need to know when there aren鈥檛 enough perspectives in the room.鈥�

In 2003, surgery faced a major problem: programs weren鈥檛 being filled. It was the first and only time this happened, but it highlighted just how much work had to be done to make students feel there was a place for them.

鈥淧rograms were hard on people,鈥� Dr. Freischlag said. 鈥淭hey thought it was to build resilience, but we lost a lot of good surgeons by not allowing those following different paths to grow. Surgeons, and the 潘金莲传媒映画, wanted to encourage people to get into surgery, but to do that, we had to make sure they felt accepted.鈥�

The Way Forward

To create an environment where everyone felt the freedom to learn in their own way, Dr. Freischlag leaned into communication at the ACSand in her own institution.

鈥淲e put so much effort into bringing people in. We went out there and found them鈥攚e had people talk about how much they love being a surgeon, we had people who enjoyed teaching and research. We really showed people they have a place here and can be a part of it,鈥� she said.

As times continue to change, especially in healthcare, a crisis cannot go by without learning something. With successive generations of surgeons continuing their training, leaders like Dr. Freischlag are looking at problems from a new angle. There are barriers to education, namely cost and time commitment, that can be mitigated through creative solutions.

鈥淭he federal government wasn鈥檛 funding enough residencies anyway,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow can we get companies to fill those gaps and help teach and train physicians? We run a program in Charlotte, North Carolina, and lots of [medical device] companies help us. We ask new questions: could we get fellowships and residencies paid for? Can we decrease length of training where appropriate, or the cost of college?鈥�

Staying Hopeful

In the hard times, think of the good times.

鈥淲e have so many people in the College who love every minute,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e need to use our people to tell stories, talk about the patients we鈥檝e saved through surgery and research, and talk about the students we鈥檝e trained.鈥�

As healthcare providers push through the current challenging environment, which sometimes appear adversarial towards research and medical advancements, surgeons must stay true to the 潘金莲传媒映画鈥檚 mission of healing all with skill and trust.

鈥淭his too will pass,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e made it through the 2008 financial crisis. We鈥檝e made it through the hardest parts of COVID. There鈥檚 a chance to make things better, and we must commit to that,鈥� she explained.

As an organization, Dr. Freischlag is a firm believer that the ACScan help improve the healthcare environment by providing the means for surgeons to support each other. It starts in small ways, like helping each other to stay positive and coming to in-person meetings when possible.

Though the technology certainly has its place, not all challenges can be solved virtually. Having different people in the room to advocate for different priorities continues to center the patient in the work the ACSdoes.

鈥淲e must continue fighting鈥攕ome people delay procedures because they can鈥檛 afford it. North Carolina expanded Medicaid, and people come to routine appointments. It鈥檚 about going to the people who make the decisions on behalf of our patients and their stories,鈥� she said. 鈥淪tay focused, know where you鈥檙e going, what is happening, and how it can be made better.鈥�

And, when in doubt, Dr. Freischlag鈥檚 belief can be a mantra: 鈥淥f course you can do it鈥攑eople have phenomenal capacity, and you can manage anything.鈥�