Committees

AOSA is committed to ensuring clear and impactful communication through the Communications Committee by implementing the following initiatives:

• Oversee all publications, press releases, and communications involving AOSA’s name to maintain brand integrity and alignment with the organization’s mission.
• Develop strategies to explore and implement new AOSA communication channels, including newsletters, blogs, and digital publications.
• Serve as the primary interface between AOSA and its publishing and media partners to ensure consistent messaging.
• Participate in joint communication initiatives with relevant professional organizations and publishing entities to enhance AOSA’s visibility and influence.
• Investigate innovative communication strategies with a focus on increasing engagement, outreach, and potential revenue streams to support AOSA’s mission.

By implementing these strategies, AOSA will continue to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ surgeons and allies, ensuring meaningful professional development and advocacy within the surgical community.

1. Develop LGBTQ+ in Surgery Educational Resources
   Create and promote educational content that highlights LGBTQ+ health issues, inclusive surgical practice, and how to be a good ally within the surgical profession.
2. Foster Mentorship and Pipeline Programs
   Establish/continue mentorship initiatives to connect LGBTQ+ medical students and residents with attending mentors in surgery, helping to build a diverse surgery pipeline and support career development from medical school through residency, fellowship, and early career attending.
3. Engage with Communities and Professional Partners
   Collaborate with hospitals, academic institutions, and other professional organizations to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in surgery. Support visibility and representation of LGBTQ+ surgeons through public speaking, presence at conferences, and community outreach events.

Build Community and Friendship within AOSA
Help organize meetups and social events at surgical conference meetings and through local AOSA “chapters”.

AOSA is committed to advancing funding and scholarship opportunities through the following initiatives:

• Develop and implement fundraising strategies to support AOSA’s initiatives, research, and educational programs.
• Establish and expand scholarship opportunities for LGBTQ+ medical students, residents, and fellows pursuing careers in surgery.
• Engage with donors, sponsors, and philanthropic organizations to secure financial support for AOSA activities.
• Create transparent processes for scholarship application, review, and awarding to ensure fairness and accessibility.
• Foster partnerships with external organizations to expand scholarship and grant opportunities for AOSA members.

AOSA is committed to fostering a thriving and inclusive membership through the following initiatives:

• Maintain national and international membership recruitment strategies, leveraging marketing efforts to promote AOSA, continuing education, and member resources.
• Encourage annual membership growth through regular communication, reducing attrition, and improving member data accuracy.
• Explore new membership categories to expand inclusivity and bolster additional membership engagement.
• Increase candidate membership and improve conversion from candidate to active membership, with a focus on post-residency and fellowship program benefits.
  • Collect and analyze historic membership growth and attrition metrics to understand engagement trends.
  • Ensure participation in AOSA-sponsored courses is contingent on candidate membership to encourage active involvement.
  • Waive online education fees for Candidate and Medical Student members to reduce financial barriers.
  • Develop programs to enhance Candidate member engagement, such as mentorship and onboarding initiatives.
  • Streamline the membership application process by simplifying the submission of Letters of Good Standing from Program Directors.
• Strive for a total membership increase of 5% by 2026.
  • Implement targeted marketing campaigns for non-members, utilizing digital tools such as virtual platforms, social media (TikTok, Instagram, podcasts), and email outreach.
  • Establish collaborative agreements with other surgical societies to encourage dual membership.
  • Conduct focus group interviews with specific demographics, including community practice physicians, to identify membership needs and barriers.
  • Explore tiered dues structures to support early-career surgeons in maintaining membership.
  • Promote inclusivity by collecting and analyzing demographic data to understand the diversity of our members.
• Increase international membership by 5% by 2026.
  • Expand outreach to international non-members through short videos, social media campaigns, and strategic partnerships.
  • Ensure international members have increased engagement and opportunities to speak at AOSA events, including the Annual Meeting.

By implementing these strategies, AOSA will continue to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ surgeons and allies, ensuring meaningful professional development and advocacy within the surgical community.

AOSA is dedicated to maintaining a structured and effective Program Committee by implementing the following initiatives:

• Enforce Program Committee policies for non-reviewers and no-shows to ensure accountability and participation.
• Develop a structured process to engage Program Committee members in reviewing program components during the Annual Meeting.
• Establish a process for the Program Committee to provide timely input to the Annual Meeting Program Chair to ensure their contributions are incorporated effectively.

By implementing these strategies, AOSA will continue to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ surgeons and allies, ensuring meaningful professional development and advocacy within the surgical community.

AOSA is committed to advancing surgical research and professional development through the Research Committee by implementing the following initiatives:

• Actively manage the research grant life cycle, including defining research priorities, enhancing the quality of AOSA research grants, reviewing proposals, and following up on the outcomes of funded projects.
• Develop additional research opportunities and secure new sources of research funding to support innovative projects and studies.
• Facilitate collaborations between AOSA members and other research-focused organizations to encourage knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary research.
• Foster career development for AOSA members by promoting research mentorship, funding opportunities, and professional growth within the surgical community.

AOSA is committed to fostering strong communication and publication strategies through the Social Committee by implementing the following initiatives:

• Oversee all publications involving AOSA’s name to ensure consistency and alignment with the organization’s mission.
• Develop strategies and explore new ideas for AOSA publications to enhance outreach and engagement.
• Serve as the primary interface between AOSA and its publishing partners.
• Participate in collaborative journal committees with relevant organizations and publishing entities.
• Investigate innovative publication strategies with a focus on developing revenue streams to support AOSA initiatives.