In support of SSO’s mission to improve the multidisciplinary care of the cancer patient through science and education, the 2018 – 2020 Strategic Plan includes an education-focused goal: support career-long education, recertification and quality patient care. Over the next two years, over 50 new programs will be developed. To ensure that this goal is met, SSO’s Education Council is hard at work. Vice Chair, Glenda Callender, MD states, “One of the objectives of the Education Council is to collaborate with the various Society committees and work groups to identify gaps in education and define educational themes. We are in the process of finalizing a two-year plan, which balances programming over six solid-tumor disease sites and establishes methods to review proposals brought forward by internal or external stakeholders.”
Dr. Callender explains, “The delivery methods of educational programs have significantly evolved from traditional books and journals to online information that is immediately available. As the Education Council assesses educational activities, we think about the variety of ways that physicians want to learn. One of our goals is to engage all types of learners and provide information that is clinically applicable.” ExpertED@SSO is the Society’s online learning platform that delivers content in many formats including webinars, video panels and Annals of Surgical Oncology CME articles. “One activity that I find extremely valuable on ExpertED is the SSO 2018 Virtual Meeting. This is a great way to review session content, or if you didn’t attend the SSO 2018, you have easy access to the most current clinical information,” stated Dr. Callender.
While there are many opportunities to obtain CME, the value of SSO’s education comes from three core elements: 1.) A focus on surgical oncology and disease sites, 2.) Information that is clinically applicable, and 3.) Faculty that are preeminent thought leaders and pioneers in their respective fields. Several new programs are now available via ExpertED@SSO and include:
- Robotic Approaches for Gastrointestinal Malignancies Video Forum Series,
- Latest Advances in Immunotherapy – Annals of Surgical Oncology Review Series, edited by Charles M. Balch, MD
- Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy and Management of Regional Lymph Nodes in Melanoma Guideline Update Webinar, moderated by lead author of the Guideline, Sandra L. Wong, MD
- Annals of Surgical Oncology CME article, “Clinicopathological Determinants of an Elevated Systemic Inflammatory Response Following Elective Potentially Curative Resection for Colorectal Cancer.”
Dr. Callender stated, “The future plans for new educational programs via ExpertED@SSO are exciting. The number and types of programs in development will benefit the SSO membership in many ways. ExpertED@SSO is also a very user-friendly platform and I highly recommend that members explore what it has to offer, especially the SSO 2018 Virtual Meeting.”
If you have ideas for educational programs, the Education Council wants to hear from you. Please email your ideas to education@surgonc.org.