Hail to the Chief
"Hail to the Chief" is series of interviews with Stanford Surgery faculty who were, are, or will be presidents of surgical societies.
Dr. Shipra Arya, SOC
Dr. Shipra Arya is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine and section chief of vascular surgery at VA Palo Alto Healthcare System. She started her term as the President of the Surgical Outcomes Club in November 2021. Read the interview.
Dr. James Dunn, PAPS
Dr. James Dunn is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery and will be sworn in as the President of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons in September at their annual meeting. Read the interview.
Dr. Mary Hawn, Halsted Society
Dr. Mary Hawn is Chair of the Department of Surgery at Stanford University. Prior to being President-Elect of the Halsted Society, she was President of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons; this will be her first presidency of a national society. Read the interview.
Dr. David Spain, AAST
David Spain, MD, is a Professor in the Division of General Surgery, Chief of the Trauma Section, and Director of the General Surgery Residency Program. He was elected President of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma in September 2019. Read the interview.
Christine Reyes-Santos, ACAPS PC
Christine Reyes-Santos is the Residency Program Manager for Stanford’s Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency Program. She started her term as the President of the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons Program Coordinators in October 2022. Read the interview.
Dr. Carla Pugh, SBAS
Carla Pugh, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Division of General Surgery and Director of the TECI Center. She was elected President of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons for the 2021-22 term in April. Read the interview.
Dr. Ron Dalman, SVS
Dr. Ron Dalman is Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at Stanford University and the newly sworn-in President of the Society of Vascular Surgery. Read the interview.
Dr. Marc Melcher, SFSS
Dr. Marc Melcher is an Associate Professor in Stanford’s Division of Abdominal Transplantation and Program Director for the Abdominal Surgery Fellowship. He was selected President of the San Francisco Surgical Society (SFSS) in September 2019 for a term of one year. Read the interview.
Dr. Geoffrey Gurtner, WHS
Dr. Geoffrey Gurtner is Vice Chair of Innovation at Stanford Surgery and the current President of the Wound Healing Society (WHS). Read the interview.
Dr. Carlos Esquivel, IPTA
Dr. Carlos Esquivel is chief of the Division of Abdominal Transplantation and president-elect of the International Pediatric Transplant Association. Read the interview.
Dr. Sherry Wren, PCSA
Dr. Sherry Wren is Vice Chair of Diversity at Stanford Surgery and Chief of General Surgery at the Palo Alto VA. In addition to being the current President of the Pacific Coast Surgical Association, she was also President of the Halsted Society 2016- 2017, President of the San Francisco Surgical Society (SFSS) from 2013- 2014, and President of the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons 2008-2009. Read the interview.
Dr. Lisa Knowlton, AAST Associate Member Council
Dr. Lisa Knowlton is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of General Surgery’s trauma and acute care surgery section and a member of the S-SPIRE Center faculty. She was elected Chair of the Associate Member Council of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) earlier this year. Read the interview.
Dr. James Chang, ASSH
Dr. James Chang is Chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford University. He was president of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) from September 2017 to September 2018. Read the interview.