Dr. Bethany Slater joined SAGES in 2015 because of the emphasis on MIS techniques, innovation and new technology, and says that “being part of an innovative MIS community with exposure to new techniques and devices has been inspiring and motivating.”
In addition to being Chair of SAGES Guidelines committee, Dr. Slater is also on the SAGES Board of Governors, and has been co-chair of the Pediatric committee and member of both the Program and Technology committees.
As a pediatric surgeon, she adds that it’s enjoyable to create relationships with surgeons from other surgical specialties. “Through the guidelines committee I have been fortunate to collaborate with other committees and have had relationships with some of the leads and active members, including Drs. Jeff Marks, Alia Qureshi, and Jon Gould from the Foregut committee on the GERD guideline, along with Drs. Kevin El-Hayek, Adnan Alseidi, and Ziad Awad from HPB on the Bile Duct Injury guideline.” She also counts Drs. Danielle Walsh, Pat Sylla and Aurora Pryor among her mentors.
For Dr. Slater, among the many benefits of being a SAGES member is the acknowledgement of hard work, along with the ability to participate and join projects (including the women’s group at the Montreal sing-off event!).
She sees long-term membership filled with continued networking opportunities, particularly in the adult field that she can apply to pediatric surgery, leadership opportunities and experiences, and ongoing education about industry, devices and new technologies.
Away from SAGES, Dr. Slater, a former college tennis player, has run four marathons and “countless” half marathons. She also enjoys traveling and trying out new restaurants.