AAST-READY Fellowship

Resident Education and Development Year

Purpose and vision

The AAST has an opportunity to create a structured program for residents in their Professional Development Year(s) who have demonstrated an interest in Acute Care Surgery (ACS) and surgical education. By embedding these trainees into the Educational Development Committee and Acute Care Surgery Committee, we can provide meaningful mentorship, leadership exposure, professional development, and hands-on experience while advancing the society’s educational mission.

AAST-READY is designed to meet residents where they already are: curious about Acute Care Surgery, serious about education, and looking for meaningful mentorship and leadership exposure. This fellowship is not about time served. It is about rigor, contribution, and developing future leaders who will shape trauma and ACS education nationally.

We intentionally designed this program to be flexible early on, while clearly articulating that deeper impact is most often achieved with longitudinal engagement.

Program structure and duration

Duration: 

• Applicants may pursue the fellowship over one or two years, aligned with their Professional Development Year(s).
• While two years is strongly encouraged and considered optimal, flexibility is essential early on to allow the applicant pool to self-select and to accommodate different educational pathways.

Rationale for flexibility: 

• Many residents already commit to two-year research or education tracks and see this as aligned, not additive.
• Some fellows will pursue a concurrent master’s degree in education or a structured education fellowship, and may not need the same internal scaffolding.
• Others, particularly one-year fellows, benefit from more structured programming and intentional milestones.
• This design allows us to learn quickly from early cohorts while maintaining high standards.

Year-based expectations

One-year Pathway
Focused, high-impact engagement with:

• Structured onboarding and mentorship
• Defined education project(s) aligned with AAST priorities
• Active committee participation
• Quarterly progress reports
• Scholarly dissemination and AAST Annual Meeting presentation

Two-year Pathway
Designed for residents pursuing deeper educational training or leadership development:

• Year 1: education training, project development, mentorship alignment
• Year 2: implementation, dissemination, leadership growth, and national visibility
• Expanded leadership roles within committees
• Multiple scholarly outputs and national presentations
• Two-year fellows are expected to demonstrate increasing independence and leadership over time.

A la carte educational support model

Rather than a one-size-fits-all curriculum, AAST-READY will offer an a la carte educational menu, tailored to each fellow’s background and goals.

Examples include:

• Preferential alignment with structured education programs such as SERF or equivalent
• AAST-facilitated access to education research mentorship
• Support for fellows not enrolled in a formal education degree
• Integration with CoSEF members for collaboration and project development
• This ensures that fellows pursuing master’s degrees are not over-structured, while others receive the scaffolding they need to succeed.

Oversight and mentorship

The program will be overseen by an AAST-READY Task Force, with representation from:

• Educational Development Committee
• Acute Care Surgery Committee
• Each fellow will be paired with two primary mentors, identified by committee leadership, to ensure both content expertise and educational mentorship
• Fellows will serve as associate members of relevant committees, embedding them directly into the work of the society rather than observing from the margins

Fellow responsibilities and deliverables

Each fellow will:

• Complete at least two major education-focused projects aligned with AAST priorities
• Submit quarterly progress reports
• Produce at least one scholarly product suitable for JTACS or TSACO
• Present work at the AAST Annual Meeting
• Actively contribute to committee initiatives, with increasing leadership expectations over time
• AAST will support fellows’ attendance at the Annual Meeting for the duration of their fellowship.

Application, selection, and timeline

Eligibility:

• Current surgical resident in good standing who will be in a Professional Development Year (PDY) or equivalent research/education year during the fellowship term.
• Demonstrated interest in Acute Care Surgery and/or Surgical Education.
• Endorsement from their Residency Program Director confirming protected time for participation.

Application Materials (please upload the appropriate documents below) 

1. Personal Statement ( max 700 words)
   • Describe your interest in Acute Care Surgery and education.
   • Explain how participation in the AAST-READY Fellowship aligns with your professional goals.
   • Reflect on leadership, innovation, or teaching experiences that have shaped you.
2. Current CV (2–3 pages)
3. Letter of Support from Program Director or Chair
4. Optional: Supporting documentation of educational or leadership projects (e.g., abstracts, teaching materials, publications)

The application deadline is Friday, May 29th. Notification will be sent late Spring. If you have questions, please email [email protected]