What Programs Does AWS Offer for Medical Students and Residents?

Updated

The Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) offers several dedicated programs for medical students and residents, including the AWS Surgical Mentorship Program, the Clinical Practice Coaching Program, a Speaker Directory, and a Journal Club for medical students. These programs are listed on the AWS website under Resources for Medical Students and Residents & Fellows, alongside member benefits such as publications, toolkits, and a job board.

Programs for Medical Students

AWS groups its medical student offerings under a dedicated Resources section. Based on the site's navigation, these include:

  • AWS Surgical Mentorship Program — listed under Resources for Medical Students, connecting students with mentors in surgery.
  • Journal Club — a medical student resource for structured discussion of surgical literature.
  • Speaker Directory — a searchable listing of speakers, useful for finding mentors or invited speakers for student events.

The site also maintains a Rebecca Crumpler High School Outreach Program under Events, which sits upstream of the medical student pipeline rather than serving medical students directly.

Programs for Residents & Fellows

The Residents & Fellows section of the site lists:

  • Clinical Practice Coaching Program — coaching aimed at residents and fellows as they move toward independent practice.
  • Speaker Directory — shared with the medical student resources.
  • AWS Surgical Mentorship Program — also cross-listed for this career stage.

Shared Resources and Opportunities

Beyond the stage-specific programs, AWS maintains resources that apply across both groups:

Resource What it is
Publications & eBooks AWS-published written material
American Journal of Surgery Associated journal access/listing
Toolkits Including the Gender Equity Toolkit and AWS Allyship Resources
Job Board Posted surgical positions
Current Opportunities Listings such as Better Mentor, Bigger Impact, AJS Call for Abstracts, Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Visiting Professorships & Host Institutions, Signature Speaker Series, and Reviewer Academy
Events Virtual Programs, Calendar, Annual Conference, Gala, Networking Breakfast, and a Past Webinar Library

How to Access These Programs

The site's navigation places these under Resources (Medical Students; Residents & Fellows) and Opportunities. Membership is a separate path: the site has a Join / Join Now flow with Membership Categories and Member Benefits pages, plus a Member Login. The homepage does not state pricing for membership or for individual programs, so check the Membership Categories and Member Benefits pages for current terms before assuming a program is open to non-members.

Choosing Among Them

  • If you are a medical student exploring surgery: start with the Surgical Mentorship Program and Journal Club.
  • If you are a resident or fellow preparing for practice: the Clinical Practice Coaching Program is the most directly relevant listing.
  • If you need visibility or a speaker for an event: the Speaker Directory serves both groups.
  • If you are looking for funding, awards, or abstract calls: check Current Opportunities, which aggregates these separately from the mentorship and coaching programs.

Because program details, eligibility, and any fees are not specified in the homepage content, verify current status on each program's page before applying.