Making the Transition from Trainee to Practicing Surgeon: Perspectives from Academic, Private Practice, and Military

Monday, October 19, 2026

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM PT

Location: West Exhibit Hall A, Learning Zone 7

Moderator(s)

Marilene B. Wang, MD

Professor
UCLA Head and Neck Surgery
Los Angeles, CA, United States

Panelist(s)

TC

Taylor R. Carle, MD

Otolaryngologist
Cedars Sinai Health System
Pasadena, California, United States
JM

Justin P. McCormick, MD

Assistant Professor
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Bridgewater , New Jersey, United States
Jakob L. Fischer, MD

Otolaryngologist
Brooke Army Medical Center
San Antonio, TX, United States

Disclosure(s):

Marilene B. Wang, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Taylor R. Carle, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Jakob L. Fischer, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

This will be an interactive session with young panelists who recently completed training and are early in their careers and have advice about what they wish they knew as they were making the transition from trainee to practicing surgeon. A variety of backgrounds will be represented, including private practice, academics, and military. Personal anecdotes and lessons learned will be shared, to benefit those who are in similar stages of transition.

Learning Objectives:

To discuss the transition process from trainee to practicing surgeon.
To describe skills and issues that may not have been learned during training but are valuable as a practicing surgeon.
To advise on ways to improve training to better prepare trainees for the real-world workplace.