Dr. April Roslani

Surgical Access Inequities Across the Globe: What Can We Do?

Inequities in access to timely and effective surgical care represent one of the most pressing and complex challenges in global health today. Millions of people worldwide, particularly those living in rural and remote regions of Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America, are excluded from essential procedures that can treat severe trauma, prevent disability, and save lives. These barriers are multifaceted, rooted in insufficient training infrastructure, lack of specialized technology, geographic challenges, and funding deficiencies. Addressing this massive global surgical gap is not just a clinical requirement but a moral and ethical imperative for achieving true universal health equity.

With Johnson & Johnson MedTech

Empowering Women Surgeons: Challenges, Advantages, and Mentorship Dynamics

Women surgeons around the world face many challenges in their journey toward successful surgical careers. Traditional surgical training offers little flexibility for pregnancy and raising children, while significant disparities often exist in salary and grant funding between male and female surgeons. Bias against women surgeons, both professionally and culturally, also limits their advancement and assumption of leadership roles. Mentorship by other women surgeons can be instrumental in overcoming professional obstacles, however a dearth of senior women surgeons regionally can hamper this. The Association of Women Surgeons is honored to partner with the AIS Channel and present a panel of international women surgeons to discuss the unique challenges they face as surgeons, mentors and mentees.

With American College of Surgeons

CEO Forum – Sustainable Patient-Centric DEI Strategies

The finale 2024 monthly diversity, equity, and inclusion program features global healthcare leaders addressing this year's theme of patient-centric DEI initiatives. These internationally renowned experts from North and South America, Africa, and Asia describe programs which they have created to ensure access to equitable care for all patients. Their perspectives include University, Society, Hospital, Organizational, and Corporate initiatives which they have introduced and developed. The esteemed DEI champion faculty will outline how others in a myriad of environments can create and sustain similar programs. Participants from around the world will derive significant immediately implementable solutions which they can lead to help optimize outcomes for patients around the world.

With AORN

Deans Driving Diversity

One of the best ways to ensure sustainable success in DEI initiatives is to address these essential issues prior to and during medical school. The premedical pipeline must encourage a diverse group of medical school applicants to seek positions in medical schools where they know that they will be mentored by engaged faculty committed to DEI. Proof of this commitment is the fact that the DEI initiatives should not be independent curricular offerings but rather embedded in every aspect of the entire curriculum. In addition to faculty mentors, alumni and activated allies should be a valuable resource. These topics will be addressed by internationally renowned medical school deans, each of whom will offer examples of how to succeed and share immediately implementable toolkits and pathways to achieve these important goals.

With Johnson & Johnson MedTech

Let's Talk About Bleeding

Bleeding before, during or after surgery can significantly compromise the success of surgical procedures and consequently the safety of patients. A large percentage of individuals who undergo surgery have either a form of bleeding disorder or require anticoagulant medication impacting their underlying risk of bleeding. As colorectal surgeons, we must make significant considerations, including assessing the risk of bleeding associated with the specific procedure, timing of interruption and resumption of anticoagulation therapy, and whether to use bridging therapy. Management of intraoperative bleeding can be divided between pharmaceutical (sealants) vs surgical maneuvers. Postoperative bleeding requires prompt identification and management, in the form of further surgery or the involvement of interventional radiology. For this important episode of the AIS channel Colorectal surgical journeys, we have brought together a selected group of experts to go over these important topics that impact decision-making in everyday surgical practice.

With Johnson & Johnson MedTech

Challenges to women surgeons in Asia

There’s a huge amount of data regarding the experience of women surgeons in Asia. Many Asian countries have a high gender gap index that makes the work of some women in surgery difficult. Specifically, in Malaysia, the first woman doctor graduated in 1961 and the first woman surgeon in 1970. Bearing in mind that there are 140 hospital services in the country, only 9 women are heads of surgery. Likewise, women represent only 15% of general surgeons, and in non-surgeon specialization indexes are even lower. There is clearly a gender index gap in the surgery world. Dr. April Roslani points out that the gender gap is a consequence of the lack of supportive institutional systems. Moreover, suppressive statements and sexual harassment affect female surgeon trainees and female surgeons. Institutional policies have recently been enhanced to ensure that new measures are implemented. These new measures recognize the rights of women surgeons in terms of equality. However, the obstacles to female surgeons are real, and that is why we need a policy change and early intervention. This Masterclass was part of the webinar Challenges and Solutions in Healthcare to Diversity, published on March 4, 2021 on aischannel.com