George P. Yang, MD PhD Junior Faculty Teaching Award Established
June 30, 2022
The General Surgery Residency Program will establish a new award honoring the teaching of the faculty. Starting in June 2023, the Collins Award will be given to a senior faculty member (associate or full professor) and a second award will be given to a junior faculty member (instructor or assistant professor). The newly created junior faculty teaching award will be named for alumnus Dr. George Yang.
"Dr. Yang has been a longstanding supporter of our residency program for more than 20 years, particularly devoting extra time to teach our junior residents in the OR And he's made numerous other contributions, often anonymously, to support our residents. It very fitting to honor him in this way," said General Surgery Residency Program Director Dr. David Spain.
Dr. Yang completed his residency in general surgery at Stanford University in 2001 and remained on the faculty until moving to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2018 where he is Vice Chair for Veterans’ Affairs in the Department of Surgery. During his tenure at Stanford, Dr. Yang positively influenced the lives of countless residents and medical students.
"Dr. Yang was an incredible supporter of Stanford Surgery residents during his time on faculty," said Department Chair Dr. Mary Hawn. "A teaching award in his name is so befitting of his legacy here at Stanford. I know the recipients of this newly-established award will find it more meaningful because of the association with Dr. Yang."
Dr. Yang was born in Taiwan and lived there until he was 4 years old when he immigrated to the U.S. He went to undergraduate and medical school at Northwestern University. He earned his PhD in molecular genetics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Yang is a past-President of the Society of University Surgeons (SUS), is a founding member of Society of Asian Academic Surgeons, and received the inaugural SUS Trailblazer Award.
"It is a distinct honor to be remembered in this way by a place that holds a special place for me. I thank Drs. Hawn and Spain and all the past and present people who keep the residency as strong as it is. I hope this will provide recognition to those faculty who make a positive impression on each generation of residents," said Dr. Yang.
Dr. Yang takes great pride in training residents. As a Stanford Surgeon, Dr. Yang loved taking fresh interns through hernias at the VA, not only emphasizing the importance of technique but also of taking ownership of the patients. Dr. Yang took many Stanford residents to Guatemala to care for disadvantaged patients and allow the residents to gain operative experience. He emphasized the responsibilities that came along with the privilege of being a surgeon and being allowed to operate on people." - Dr. Marc Melcher '04, former General Surgery Residency Program Director
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There is no one more fitting to have a junior faculty teaching award named after them, then Dr. George Yang.
Dr. Yang’s passion for teaching and mentorship became very evident as a senior surgery resident at Stanford. Santa Clara Valley medical center was very much a resident run surgical service back in the mid to late 1990s, and as the senior resident, Dr. Yang would take time out of rounds and in the OR, even at the cost of having to stay late, to teach interns and junior residents about surgical diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Yang continued his passion for teaching when he joined the surgical faculty. He was very involved in resident education at the Palo Alto VA. Dr. Yang made sure that the residents mastered many of the core general surgery operations during their rotation such as hernia repairs, cholecsystectomies and management of small bowel surgical issues. It was because of Dr. Yang’s teaching and interest in resident well being that he was named one of the Administrative Chief Residents.
Dr. Yang’s passion for mentorship was also evident in the research lab. He took many surgery residents into his lab and mentored them on how to become surgeon-scientists. How to approach problems, develop hypothesis and then develop an investigative plan. Many of the these residents are now independently funded surgeon-scientists. There is no better way to honor Dr. Yang’s legacy at Stanford Surgery than to name a faculty teaching award – The George P. Yang, MD, PhD Junior Faculty Teaching Award." - Dr. Dev Desai '01
Dr. Yang is an extraordinary individual. He exemplifies all of the characteristics of a model surgeon. He is cognizant of the details and is guided by science. He is attentive to the needs of the patient. He cares deeply about the educational experience of our learners. He is a man who leads selflessly and with great integrity. In aggregate, he is the ideal for which students and trainees should strive. I was extremely fortunate to have seen all of this in action from when he was an intern who rose through the faculty ranks at Stanford and then at UAB. His thoughtful leadership and mentorship was front and center during his 15 years of service to the Society of University Surgeons and later with the founding of the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons. He is a role model for us all.” -Dr. Kasper S. Wang '02
I've been honored to know Dr. Yang for the past 20+ years. I'm thankful for his many contributions throughout the years. Dr. Yang helped us develop our SASS track and Professional Development mentorship program; he always participated in resident recruitment because he was passionate about recruiting the best surgeon-scientists to our training program. His many silent contributions to the residency program, his dedication to education and teaching, and being a resident advocate will never go forgotten by his Stanford Surgery Family." - Anita Hagan, General Surgery Residency Program Manager
Dr. George Yang presents "Lessons About Career and Life From Stanford" at the 2021-22 Distinguished Alumnus Lecture.
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