Maria Iliakova, MD is a bariatric & general surgeon. She has experience in building a bariatric program in a community hospital that includes providing medical and surgical options. She is passionate about helping people reach the best quality of life possible. She is an advocate of access to a full spectrum of bariatric care and active on committees that reflect this commitment:

-SAGES robotic committee

-SAGES advocacy & policy committee

-SAGES bylaws committee

-ASMBS insurance committee

-ASMBS state chapter vice president

-American Medical Association Women's Physician Section Policymaking Committee

Here are topics I can present:

ERAS integration in a community hospital

Starting research projects in a community hospital setting

Starting a robotic bariatric and foregut program in a community hospital setting

Establishing administration and staff buy-in to build a bariatric surgery program

Standardizing robotic surgery in your hospital

Resident/ fellow education

Robotic bariatrics

Identifying and decreasing community barriers to bariatric surgery access

Practicing bariatric surgery in rural/ suburban environments

Practicing bariatric surgery in community practice

Guiding patients through bariatric surgery process

Medically managed weight loss

Seeing bariatric care as continuous to  general medical care

Pitfalls of being a new bariatric surgeon

Finding a job as a bariatric surgeon

Negotiating your contract as a bariatric surgeon

Recruiting primary care providers into bariatric care

• Hernia
• Flexible Endoscopy
• Foregut
• Bariatric
• Robotics
• Professionalism
• Career Development
• Business of Surgery
• Diversity/Inclusion
• Wellness
• Education