Tuesday, September 15

• 4th Annual AAST Fallen Surgeons Military Educational Symposium (additional fee)
• Pre-sessions (additional fee):
  • The 2026 AAST Neurocritical Care Update and Board Review Course
  • Hands-on Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration Seminar (two sessions available - same content)

Wednesday, September 16th

• Welcome begins at 8:00 AM CST
• Kimberly Davis, MD, MBA Presidential Address, "Navigating Uncertainty" 
• Lunch Sessions (additional fee):
  • Fix the System, Not Just the Surgeon: Structural Reforms in Acute Care Surgery That Promote Longevity
  • Work Smarter, Not Harder: Making the EHR Work for You
  • Managing Complex Trauma: Lessons From Global Leaders
  • “Too Sick” for Trauma or Emergency General Surgery? Navigating Frailty, Organ Failure, and Goals of Care
  • Funding Outside the Box: Tips and Tricks for Nontraditional Grant Applications
  • Optimizing Pediatric Trauma and Burn Regional Management
• Welcome Reception

Thursday, September 17

• Panel I, "Robotics: Forging the Future of Robotic Acute Care Surgery in 2026 and Beyond"
• Martin Croce, MD Fitts Lecture, "Get Off My Lawn!" 
• Poster Sessions 
• NEW Quickshots 1-8 (9-26 on Saturday) 
• Add-on Sessions (additional fee): 
  • Large Scale Combat Operations Tabletop Exercise
  • AAST Mastery of Acute Care Surgery Course
  • How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Surgical Practice
  • Sources and Practical Strategies for Funding Acute Care Surgery Research

Friday, September 18

• NEW "Build Your Own T-shirt" in the Exhibit Hall 
• Brendan Visser, MD Expert Surgeon Lecture, "Evolving Management of Pancreatitis - Where Does It Leave the Surgeon?"
• Panel II: "Where Practice Meets Evidence: What We Should Be Doing and What We Still Don’t Know"
• Lunch Sessions (additional fee):
  • The AAST Playbook: How to Turn Engagement into Research, Leadership, and Career Growth
  • AI use in Scientific Writing: A JTACS Lunch Session
  • Life After the ICU: Recovery, Resilience, and Long-Term Outcomes
  • Profit and Purpose in Acute Care Surgery: Growth Strategies and Maintaining Financial Health
  • The Nuts and Bolts of Emergency General Surgery Verification: Building, Implementing, and Maturing EGS Programs
  • Not Just a Faster Horse: How the AI Transformation in Healthcare Will Create New Opportunities for Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
  • Fostering Resilience in Geriatric Acute Care Surgery: Integrating ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification Principles Into Trauma and Emergency General Surgery Quality Programs
• AAST Business Meeting
• Reception, Auction, and Banquet

Saturday, September 19

• Quickshots 8-26