The 2020 Pandemics: Lessons Learned in Academic Surgery and Beyond

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Surgical Care
• Health Equity

Background:

• 2020 presented dual public health crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened awareness of systemic racism.
• These crises significantly impacted healthcare delivery, surgical education, and academic productivity.
• The intersection of these crises highlighted existing disparities in surgical care and public health services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize discussions from the 2021 Academic Surgical Congress on leadership during crises.
• To reflect on lessons learned in academic surgery amidst the pandemic and racial injustice.
• To identify opportunities for addressing gaps in surgical care and public health.

Main Methods:

• The content is based on discussions from the 2021 Academic Surgical Congress Hot Topics session.
• Key themes included flexibility, leadership, and lessons from military surgeons during crises.
• The abstract summarizes reflections on the academic surgical experience in 2020.

Main Results:

• The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected surgical practice, training, and research.
• The public health crisis of racism underscored deep-seated health inequalities.
• Leadership and adaptability were identified as crucial for navigating these challenges.

Conclusions:

• The dual crises of 2020 provided critical insights into improving surgical care delivery and public health.
• Addressing health equity and systemic racism is essential for advancing academic surgery.
• Lessons in leadership and flexibility are vital for future crisis preparedness in medicine.