ACS AEI Research Fellowship
65
Active Clinical Trials
$8.6M
Research Grants
140
Peer-Reviewed Publications in 2023
663
Transplants in 2023
About the Fellowship
The aim of the ACS AEI surgical simulation-based fellowship is twofold:
The following goals have been set to facilitate our fellow's development:
Curriculum Design
An overarching educational goal for our fellows is the design and development of a surgical education course from the initial needs assessment through the evaluation of both the learners and the program.
Enhance Research Core
ACS AEI fellows will learn all elements of the scientific process and research methodology, from development of research questions, research design, data analysis, and dissemination of results. Fellows will be expected to contribute to the field through publication of their work and participation in academic meetings and will be exposed to the grant writing efforts of the institution.
Become a Surgical Educator
Through faculty at MITIE, fellows will obtain a strong foundation in the fields of education and training. Fellows have the option to complete an advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Curriculum & Instruction) and to incorporate learning from this degree into their Capstone project and other ongoing projects. The goal is to foster the career of the fellow as a surgical educator as well as to add to the institute’s growing maturity in curriculum design and evidence-based education.
Learn Simulation Center Operations
The program aims for fellows to understand the administrative and operational demands of managing and running a surgical simulation center. This includes exposure to the different departments and their functions within the institute as well as the roles and responsibilities of key staff members. Program faculty at MITIE include scientist-practitioners in various relevant fields of surgery, critical care, and industrial-organizational psychology.
Build a Network of Support
The faculty aims to contribute to the achievement of program goals through mentorship and support with course development and the scientific process, including training and study design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation. Faculty will also assist in introducing the fellow to the larger community of surgical educators and a network of potential mentors.
- Advance surgical education by populating the field with well-prepared, motivated surgical simulation scholars and practitioners
- Design, implement, and evaluate simulation-based surgical education programs that use evidence-based best practices.
The following goals have been set to facilitate our fellow's development:
Our Goals
Curriculum Design
An overarching educational goal for our fellows is the design and development of a surgical education course from the initial needs assessment through the evaluation of both the learners and the program.
Enhance Research Core
ACS AEI fellows will learn all elements of the scientific process and research methodology, from development of research questions, research design, data analysis, and dissemination of results. Fellows will be expected to contribute to the field through publication of their work and participation in academic meetings and will be exposed to the grant writing efforts of the institution.
Become a Surgical Educator
Through faculty at MITIE, fellows will obtain a strong foundation in the fields of education and training. Fellows have the option to complete an advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Curriculum & Instruction) and to incorporate learning from this degree into their Capstone project and other ongoing projects. The goal is to foster the career of the fellow as a surgical educator as well as to add to the institute’s growing maturity in curriculum design and evidence-based education.
Learn Simulation Center Operations
The program aims for fellows to understand the administrative and operational demands of managing and running a surgical simulation center. This includes exposure to the different departments and their functions within the institute as well as the roles and responsibilities of key staff members. Program faculty at MITIE include scientist-practitioners in various relevant fields of surgery, critical care, and industrial-organizational psychology.
Build a Network of Support
The faculty aims to contribute to the achievement of program goals through mentorship and support with course development and the scientific process, including training and study design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation. Faculty will also assist in introducing the fellow to the larger community of surgical educators and a network of potential mentors.
Message From The Program Director
ACS AEI Advisory Committee
Thank you so much for your interest in the American College of Surgeons Accredited Education Institutes (ACS AEI) Research Fellowship at Houston Methodist. As the program director, I am thrilled that you share in my passion for robotics and simulation education. My clinical and research focus is on innovative surgical techniques and simulation is critical to teaching those technologies. The world class-facilities we have at the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education (MITIE) have unlimited potential and I am excited to be a part of the leadership team to explore new opportunities to create innovative programs. What I love most about the ACS AEI Research Fellowship is that it is a self-directed learning opportunity in which I work with the fellows to personalize their experience to match their individual career objectives. What do you want to do? What are you passionate about? I am simply here to link your research interests to the vast resources at Houston Methodist but you ultimately hold the keys to where the journey will take us. I am also dedicated to resident education and mentorship. I am wholly invested in our fellows – I see their success inextricably intertwined with my own.
Sincerely,
Helmi S. Khadra, MD, FACS
Program Director
ACS AEI Research Fellowship
ACS AEI Advisory Committee
The ACS AEI Advisory Committee is a multi-disciplinary team with diverse interests in teaching, robotics and simulation.
Yee Lee Cheah MD, FACS
Transplant Surgery
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical College
Thoracic Surgery
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical College
Atiya Dhala, MD, FACP
Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in Clinical Surgery, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical College
Helmi Khadra, MD, FACP Surgical Oncology
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical College
Benjamin Benavides, CHSE
Surgical Simulation
Department of Surgery & Robotic Education
Houston Methodist Hospital
Yee Lee Cheah MD, FACS
Transplant Surgery
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical College
Thoracic Surgery
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical College
Atiya Dhala, MD, FACP
Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in Clinical Surgery, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical College
Helmi Khadra, MD, FACP Surgical Oncology
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical College
Benjamin Benavides, CHSE
Surgical Simulation
Department of Surgery & Robotic Education
Houston Methodist Hospital
Eligibility and Application
We are looking for a motivated, ambitious candidate interested in our ACS AEI Research Fellowship to start in July 2024. The selected fellow will develop a portfolio of meaningful research and is expected to present broadly at national peer reviewed scientific meetings as well as participate in the education activities of the department and institution. Fellowship experience consists of mentored education and simulation research, development of curriculum for medical students and residents and formal instruction in medical education principles. We are an integrated academic department of surgery with vast educational resources including MITIE, the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education.
Eligibility Requirements
- Completion of at least two years of a MD or DO residency program, or for non-physicians a minimum advanced degree equivalent to a master’s degree or a terminal degree and two years of relevant work experience from a surgical oriented or anesthesia residency
- Current CV
- 1 Letter of support from the Chair of the Department or Program Director
- Personal statement defining career goals, plan to achieve these goals, and the anticipated impact from participating in the Fellowship Program.
Interested applicants should send the following documents via email to Tahitia Martin at TMartin@houstonmethodist.org by March 31, 2024. If selected, interviews will be conducted in May.
Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.
Responsibility
- Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
- Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.
Our Fellows
Daniel Tomey, MD
Current Fellow
Mary Oh, MD
2023 Alum
Current General Surgery Resident
Houston Methodist Hospital
Current General Surgery Resident
Houston Methodist Hospital
Haydee del Calvo, MD
2022 Alumi
Current General Surgery Resident
Houston Methodist Hospital
Current General Surgery Resident
Houston Methodist Hospital
Karen Dickinson, MBBS, BSc, MD, MEd, FRCS
2020 Alumni
Current Assistant Professor of Surgery Director IPE Simulation and Clinical Skills
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Current Assistant Professor of Surgery Director IPE Simulation and Clinical Skills
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Get In Touch
Program Coordinator
Tahitia Martin, BS
Fellowship Coordinator
Tel: 713.363.9607
Fax: 713.790.6472
Tmartin@houstonmethodist.org
Fellowship Coordinator
Tel: 713.363.9607
Fax: 713.790.6472
Tmartin@houstonmethodist.org
Program Director
Upcoming Academic Events
Grand rounds, tumor boards, regularly scheduled series and case presentations are offered in multiple clinical disciplines and Houston Methodist locations.Concept to Commercialization—How to Take an Idea to Market 2025, Session 1
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Jan 28 @ 12PM
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Grand Rounds conducted in 2023
These educational events are held according to varying schedules by departments and divisions within the Houston Methodist Academic Institute
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