Besides SAGES’ unofficial value of FUN, “building members up” is what Dr. Yewande Alimi loves most about SAGES. “I truly enjoy the annual meeting not only as a place to learn, but a place to meet a ton of really cool, laid back people in our field. Also, within this society there are so many innovators and thought-provoking individuals it has been a pleasure to learn so much, from even casual interactions with other SAGES members.”
Dr. Alimi’s interest in laparoscopic surgery and desire to connect with others in the field led her to join SAGES as a candidate member. She’s been active in both the Resident and Fellowship Training (RAFT) and Membership committees, and is the new Candidate representative to the SAGES Board. She says that “bringing new members into this welcoming society has been an absolute pleasure.”
For her part, she adds that many SAGES members have mentored and guided her career path, including Drs. Patrick Jackson, Tom Watson, Maria Altieri, and Dan Azagury.
Over the long term, Dr. Alimi adds, “I hope to gain ongoing leadership skills within the field, be a member that both learns from the society as well as moves it forward. The opportunities within SAGES for residents and trainees are immense, and it really showed me early in my training how society memberships can supplement my training. I hope to continue to pay it forward.”
For now, Dr. Alimi is looking forward to experiencing what is always one of her most memorable experiences at the SAGES annual meeting in Las Vegas, the Sing-Off, along with her own official value of fun: riding her bike, lifting heavy objects and enjoying a variety of cuisines!