As a SAGES member, Dr. Eleanor Fung says, “I don’t feel alone when I’m practicing, and know there are members in other cities I can count on.”
This sense of community—whether it’s at the annual meeting, cross country and even during the pandemic—is, by far, the most common thread among SAGES members, and the one that Dr. Fung agrees continues to set SAGES apart from other societies. “There’s a cohesiveness that you don’t get with any other society,” she says, “along with the ability to access a wide variety of opinions, and informally discuss and bounce ideas off each other, including with those who’ve trained you.”
For Dr. Fung, this includes Dr. Steven Schwaitzberg, who she met at SAGES 2016 and credits as one of her mentors and the person who initially hired her and was responsible for getting her involved on committees. She is currently co-chair of the Flexible Endoscopy and Educational Resources committees, and one of the SAGES representatives for the Fellowship Council Accreditation Committee. Dr. Fung was previously involved in both Resident & Fellow Training and the Technology Council.
Dr. Fung earned her bachelor’s and medical degrees and did her residency training in general surgery at the University of Toronto. She completed her fellowship at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center in 2016. Today, Dr. Fung is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Buffalo.
Through the university, Dr. Fung also serves as one of the chairs for SAGES annual Flexible Endoscopy Course for Fellows, which rotates among different cities each year. She was the chair of the SAGES Flexible Endoscopy Course for Fellows in 2021 in Buffalo, and also helped co-chair several endoscopy courses for the ACS (American College of Surgeons) Clinical Congress.
In addition to participating in courses, Dr. Fung encourages her residents and fellows to attend SAGES annual meetings. In addition to serving on committees, she plans to continue to teach the next generation of surgeons.