I’m a resident or fellow in vascular surgery. Can I be a member of VESS?
Yes, our Candidate Membership shall be granted to participants who are in good professional standing in an ACGME accredited general surgery, vascular surgery residency, or other vascular residency recognized by the Society. Also students in accredited osteopathic and allopathic medical schools can participate in this membership group.
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Candidate Members must be sponsored by an active or senior active Society member. Candidate Members may serve on Committees but shall have no voting rights. Candidate Members can present papers at the annual meeting if sponsored by an Active Member. Candidate Members may be promoted to Active Membership upon completion of their vascular surgery residency (or equivalent) and upon receipt by the society office of a copy of the vascular surgery training certificate (or equivalent). At this time, the newly promoted Active Member will be bound by the requirements of active membership in the society.
What does it mean to be a Senior Member?
Senior Membership shall be granted to members who have been in practice for greater than 15 years. Terms of membership vary depending on whether the Senior Member is Active or Inactive.
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Active Senior Membership shall be granted to members who have been in practice for greater than 15 years. Active Senior Members may complete terms of elected office, and are required to pay dues. Active Senior Members can sponsor papers for fellows and residents, participate in the business meeting as well as vote, but do not present papers and are not eligible for re-election as Society officers.
Inactive Senior Membership shall be granted to Senior Members upon receipt of written request. Inactive Senior members will no longer receive a subscription to the Journal. Inactive Senior Members are not required to pay annual dues nor are they allowed to sponsor new member applications or papers and presentations submitted to the annual meeting. Inactive Senior Members may become Active Senior Members by requesting in writing reactivation and paying all back dues or three times the current year’s dues.
What are the benefits of joining VESS?
VESS is the preeminent society devoted to young vascular surgeons and trainees. Becoming a member facilitates networking with other leading vascular surgeons around the country and throughout the world.
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- VESS conducts great meetings where members can present their research in an environment conducive for educational and clinical impact.
- Membership includes subscription to the Annals of Vascular Surgery, one of the prominent journals in the field.
- The Annual Meeting allows academic interchange at a beautiful mountain venue. Accepted abstracts lead to manuscript submission to the Annals of Vascular Surgery.
- The yearly spring meeting is held in conjunction with the Society for Vascular Surgery – the premier vascular annual meeting. Accepted abstracts lead to manuscript submission to the Journal of Vascular Surgery.
- Young members are encouraged to become active participants in meetings and VESS committees
- Members are eligible for research and travel grants.
- Membership dues are modest for active members – and free to candidate members.
How do I get involved with VESS?
As a member of VESS, there are numerous ways to be involved in the Society. You can:
- Submit an abstract for the Annual Winter or Spring Meeting
- Join a Committee
- Attend a meeting
- Volunteer to review a manuscript for publication in the Annals of Vascular Surgery
- Submit a grant application
Does VESS provide any support for research?
The VESS has a Mentor Program as well as Grant Opportunities.
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VESS Mentorship Program
Overview
Mentorship is one of the most important tools for professional development and has been linked to greater productivity, career advancement, and professional satisfaction. The VESS Mentorship Program aims to promote career and leadership development for early career vascular surgeons. All active members of the VESS within 10 years of training or candidate members in their last year of training are encouraged to apply.
Through a one-year young surgeon/leader match, the program will pair early career vascular surgeons with mentors who are more experienced colleagues, to provide young surgeons with opportunities to further develop leadership skills and obtain guidance for achieving specific career goals. This program also will foster engagement in the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS).
Young Surgeons
Young surgeons will gain a trusted advisor and learn methods to enhance career advancement. Through a partnership with their respective mentor, the young surgeon will learn to:
- Develop short-term and long-term growth goals and strategies to achieve those goals
- Identify leadership opportunities within the VESS
- Expand current networks within the specialty
Leader/Mentor
Mentors will act as a guide to help develop the young surgeon’s career, as well as enhance their personal growth and productivity. The mentor will:
- Provide honest and constructive feedback
- Assist the young surgeon on issues such as the establishment of short- and long-term goals, navigation of the advancement/partnership process, and guidance on research and/or teaching activities, etc.
- Offer advice on overall clinical and practice management concerns
How It Works
- The VESS Women & Diversity Committee will review all applications and select a maximum of 12 young surgeons per year
- VESS will create a match with a leader based on needs and experience and will notify each young surgeon of the arrangement, as well as provide support and information on successful mentoring relationships.
- Upon submission of mentoring goals and a mentorship plan, the young surgeon/leader pair will be provided with $100 to be used towards funding an in-person meeting of their choice.
- VESS will monitor the year-long relationship through regular feedback and assessments from both parties to ensure the relationship thrives and is beneficial to both surgeons
Who Is Eligible?
- Applicants must be in the last year of a vascular surgery training program or have completed a training program and have no more than 10 years of practice experience at the time of their application submission.
- Applicants must be Active members or Candidate members of VESS
Time Commitment
- Leaders/young surgeons will be asked to set regular phone meetings, at least once every other month, to discuss young surgeon goals, objectives, and progress
- One-on-one leader/young surgeon in-person meeting at a time convenient for the leader and young surgeon
Mid-year Progress/Final Reports
A 200-300 word mid-year progress report and a final report covering the experience should be prepared and forwarded to the VESS Women & Diversity Committee in December and the following July.
Applications are solicited each year around March & April with the submission deadline in early May. The VESS Women & Diversity Committee pairs up Mentors & Mentees and works with the VESS Administrative Office throughout the year.
Questions?
Please contact vess@administrare.com
What are the VESS committees?
Standing committees of the Society shall consist of a nominating committee, a spring program committee, a winter program committee, a grants & scholarship committee, a fundraising committee, a bylaws committee, a membership development committee, a women & diversity committee, a vascular resident education committee and a communications committee.
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Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall consist of the current president in office, the president-elect and the two most recent past presidents. Its functions shall be to make up a slate of officers for the Society, and to nominate representatives to affiliated societies to be presented to the Executive Committee at the annual meeting. The proposed slate shall then be presented for vote during the Annual Member Business Meeting.
Representatives
Representatives shall be appointed by the nominating committee in concert with the Executive Committee to serve on American College of Surgeons Board of Governors, American College of Surgeons Advisory Council for Surgical Specialties and the Council of the American Association for Vascular Surgery. Each representative shall serve a three-year term unless otherwise noted by the Executive Committee. From time to time, other organizations may seek representation from the Society. Additional representatives shall be appointed in the same manner outlined above.
Program Committees
The Spring Program Committee shall work in concert with the SVS Program Committee to select papers and make up the program for upcoming meetings. The Spring Program Chair shall be named by the Executive Committee and serve a term of two years. The Committee will consist of 6 additional society members serving a term of two years each, with three members alternating years to allow for overlap.
The Winter Program Committee shall solicit papers and other presentations from members and other individuals and make up the programs for upcoming meetings. The Winter Program Chair shall be named by the Executive Committee and serve a term of one year. The Executive Committee will also name a Vice Chair for the Winter Program Committee for continuity. The Vice Chair will advance to the Chair. The Committee will consist of no less than 6 and no more than 10 additional Society members serving staggered terms of two years to allow for overlap.
Grants & Scholarship Committee
The Grants & Scholarships Committee shall consist of six members, a chairman, selected by the Executive Committee, 3 Councilors-at-Large, and 2 remaining at-large committee members selected by the committee chairman. This committee shall serve for two years. Its function shall be to review educational grant award applications and to report award recipients to the executive committee at the annual meeting.
Fundraising Committee
The Fundraising Committee shall consist of ten members. Its function shall be to research and implement comprehensive fundraising campaigns to support the society. A committee chairman shall be appointed by the Executive Committee to serve a two-year term. Other committee members shall be the president-elect, the treasurer, the secretary and the newly appointed councilor-at-large. The committee chairman will select up to 4 additional society members to assist with this task. In addition, the current society president shall be an Ex-Officio member.
Bylaws Committee
The Bylaws Committee shall consist of three members to serve overlapping terms of three years each. A new member shall be appointed annually by the Executive Committee. The most senior member of the By-Laws Committee shall serve as Chair. The By- Laws Committee shall review By-Laws from time to time as directed by the Council and when appropriate, make recommendations regarding amendments.
Membership Development Committee
The Membership Development Committee shall consist of a chair and four members serving two year terms. The Secretary shall serve as ex-officio. New members shall be appointed annually by the Executive Committee. The committee shall review all applications and present their nominations for membership to the Executive Committee for review and ratification at the Annual Business Meeting. The Committee shall also assist the Secretary with membership development and expansion campaigns.
Women and Diversity Committee
The Women and Diversity Committee shall consist of four members to serve overlapping terms of four years each. The most senior member shall serve as chair for one year. Open positions shall be appointed by the executive committee. The purpose of this committee is to identify and promote ways to address minority issues in vascular surgery, and encourage women and minorities to actively participate in the society and its committees.
Communications Committee
The Communications Committee shall consist of one Chair serving a three-year term, and is responsible for organizing, coordinating, and implementing all communication to the membership and along with the Secretary will oversee subcommittee functions. The Communication Chair is appointed by the Executive Committee for a maximum three-year term renewed annually. The Committee shall consist of two subcommittees:
- Website sub-committee consisting of one chair serving a two-year term and two sub-committee members appointed for 2 year terms, and is responsible for all web-based and electronic communication, and maintenance of the Society website.
- Newsletter sub-committee consisting of one chair serving a two-year term and a minimum of two sub-committee members appointed for 2 year terms, and is responsible for a membership newsletter at intervals defined by the Communication Chair.
Vascular Resident Education Committee
The Vascular Resident Education Committee shall consist of six members. Four members to serve overlapping terms of two years each. Its function shall be to organize and execute the Fellows Program and the Technology Forum at the VESS Annual Meeting. Two new members shall be appointed annually by the Executive Committee. The two most senior members of the Vascular Resident Education Committee shall serve as Co-Chairs. The two out-going co-chairs shall be Ex-Officio members.
What is the publication rate of VESS presentations from the spring/winter meetings?
For manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Vascular Surgery from the VESS Annual Spring Meeting, a Society to Society comparison shows that VESS has one of the highest publication rates.
For manuscripts submitted to the Annals of Vascular Surgery from the VESS Annual Winter Meeting, the majority of papers were published.
How do I submit an abstract for presentation at the VESS meeting?
When available, the Call for Abstracts information will be listed on the related Meeting page.
The Annual Winter Meeting submission deadline is the first week of September. The Annual Spring Meeting submission deadline is around mid-January and must be submitted through the SVS.