News

Congratulations to Georgia Beasley, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Surgery, and Andrew Peterson, MD, MPH, Professor of Surgery, on being elected to the Duke University School of Medicine chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.

The Duke Center for Geriatric Surgery (DCGS) was established by the Department of Surgery to offer a collaborative platform to develop and integrate advances in perioperative care for older adults through clinical innovation, education and research. The Center funds 1-2 grants for researchers annually. After a rigorous peer review selection process, we are pleased to announce that the 2019 DCGS Scholars Award recipients are:

• Hadiza Kazaure, MD: “Timing of a DNR Order and Surgical Outcomes of Older Adults”

But doctors seldom discuss financial differences between similarly effective treatments
 

Even among well-educated women with health insurance coverage, a significant proportion said the costs of cancer treatment influenced the type of surgery they chose for breast cancer treatment, a study led by the Duke Cancer Institute found.

The Department of Surgery held its 4th Annual Research Day April 17. The department holds this event annually to advance its mission of improving patient care through research and training the next generation of surgeon–scientists. The event recognizes the accomplishments of fellows, residents, and students engaged in clinical or basic and translational research through the department.

Three faculty members from the Duke Department of Surgery have received distinguished professorships from Duke University. Distinguished professorships are awarded to the most distinguished faculty who have demonstrated extraordinary scholarship in advancing science and improving human health.

Congratulations to Julie Thacker, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology, Betty Tong, MD, MS, MHS, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, and John Wiener, MD, Professor of Surgery in the Division of Urology, on their election to serve on Duke University’s Academic Council.

Congratulations to Christopher Mantyh, MD, Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology, on joining the editorial board for the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.

Dr. Mantyh serves as Chief of the Section of Gastrointestinal and Colorectal Surgery. His term as an Editorial Board member with the journal will begin on May 19, 2019.

The U.S. News and World Report has ranked the Duke University School of Medicine 2nd in surgery among the best medical schools in the country. This 2nd place ranking is up considerably from the department’s 5th place ranking last year.

Studies fail to show early benefit, but changing landscape may increase utility of cross-sectional imaging
 

PET-CT for the initial staging of patients with stage 2 melanoma rarely showed evidence of distant metastatic disease, according to results presented in a poster session on October 11, 2018, at the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ.

The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research has released its 2018 rankings of NIH funding for basic and clinical science departments, revealing that Duke Surgery ranks highest nationwide with more than $30 million in funding committed to research.