The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Women in Surgery Committee (WiSC) has announced the call for nominations for this year’s Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Inspiring Women in Surgery Award, which will be presented at Clinical Congress 2019 in San Francisco, CA. The award will be presented in recognition of an individual’s significant contributions to the advancement of women in the field of surgery.
The award is named in honor of Mary Edwards Walker, MD, for her exemplary inspiration as the first female surgeon employed by the U.S. Army and the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor, the highest U. S. Armed Forces decoration for bravery. After the U.S. Civil War, Dr. Walker devoted her life to supporting women’s suffrage and was a frequent lecturer on health care, temperance, and women’s rights. Most notably, Dr. Walker was unwavering in her commitment to service to her country and the surgical profession, and repeatedly excelled in the face of significant adversity. Through Dr. Walker’s example of perseverance, excellence, and pioneering behavior, she paved the way for women surgeons of today.
Nominees must have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement and inspiration of women in surgery and be members of the ACS, either in active practice or retired. Members of the WiSC are ineligible for this award. The awardee is expected to attend Clinical Congress 2019 to accept the award in person.
- All nominations must be accompanied by the following documents:
- A letter of nomination outlining how the nominee has contributed to the advancement of women in the field of surgery
- An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) of the nominee
- Self-nominations are acceptable and should include a letter of reference
The letter of nomination and CV should be e-mailed to Carol Christian at cchristian@facs.org by May 31, 2019.
The awardee will be notified of his or her selection by June 30. The award will be presented at Convocation Sunday, October 27. The awardee also will be recognized at the WiSC reception Monday, October 28, and will be a guest of the WiSC at the Association of Women Surgeons dinner that follows the reception.
Questions can be submitted to cchristian@facs.org. More information about the award, including past winners, is available on the ACS website.
