“Being part of the SAGES community has been very exciting,” says Dr. Daniel Slack. “It’s a great way for me to keep up to date on advancements in the field, and also lets me be part of a larger voice for the surgery community.”
Dr. Aurora Pryor was the first SAGES member I met who was very clearly excited and proud to be part of the SAGES community. She encouraged me to not just become a member, but also to get involved in committees that I felt passionate about.”
He credits both Dr. Pryor and fellowship director Dr. Abdelrahman Nimeri for encouraging him to get involved with SAGES committees and contribute academically to SAGES meetings.
Dr. Slack, a bariatric and general surgeon who lives in Niagara Falls, Ontario and works in Buffalo, NY, comes from a small town with training at mostly at small community hospitals. He notes that most other surgical societies were tailored more toward academic or large tertiary hospitals.
“As someone who planned to stay in smaller communities and work in smaller hospitals, I was excited to see a society and committee dedicated to community practice surgeons. I’ve been involved with the Community Practice committee for the past four years and have constantly been impressed with what we’ve been able to accomplish both at SAGES and in the larger community.”
Dr. Slack also points to SAGES Facebook groups as a great way for members to get involved, brainstorm and learn from other surgeons around the country.
For him, the annual meetings stand out as the best way to present research or video cases to a group of his peers, noting that “it’s always exciting to share with the group and gain insight from others.”
Looking forward to Cleveland in April, Dr. Slack adds, “The annual meeting has become the standard to which I compare others and always manages to outdo itself. The biggest challenge is trying to choose which session to attend with so many great sessions happening simultaneously!”
An avid reader and novice pianist in his non-SAGES hours, Dr. Slack has every intention of staying with SAGES as long as possible.
“The more I get involved, the more meetings I attend and the longer I’m a member, the more relationships I’ll cultivate and the more I’ll learn. This will help me be a better surgeon and a better doctor to my patients—which is the ultimate goal. I’m excited to see what big things SAGES will do in the future and I’m excited to be a part of it.”