Edwin C. James Lectureship and Research Colloquium

The 11th Annual Edwin C. James Lectureship was established in honor of Edwin C. James, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery from 1980-'89, and founder of the Surgical Residency Program. Each year, we invite a nationally recognized speaker to honor this lectureship. This year's lecturer was Ronald V. Maier, M.D., F.A.C.S., Jane & Donald D. Trunkey Professor and vice chair of Surgery at the University of Washington. His talk was titled, "A Century of Resuscitation for Trauma."

The 13th Annual Surgical Resident Research Colloquium is the annual Department of Surgery conference where the PGY II-V categorical surgery residents present their annual research projects. This is held on the same day as the Edwin C. James lecture and Chief Resident Graduation Banquet. These presentations are judged by a panel of invited physicians, including the Edwin James lecturer. This year's judges were Jyotika Sharma, Ph.D., assistant professor of Basic Sciences at the UND SMHS in Grand Forks, N.D.; Girish Luthra, M.D., former SMHS surgical resident now at CentraCare Clinic in St. Cloud, Minn.; Mark Jensen, M.D., professor of surgery at the UND SMHS in Fargo; and Dr. Maier.

The top two presenters are honored at the Chief Resident Graduation Banquet that follows the same evening. This year, we had a number of excellent presentations, many of which will be subsequently submitted for publication or presentation at regional or national meetings. First place went to Stefan Johnson, M.D., PGY V, who presented "How Has Oil Drilling Activity Affected Trauma in Northwestern North Dakota?" Honorable Mention went to Zachary Ernst, M.D., PGY III, who presented "Esophageal Cancer and Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy: Does it Really Make a Difference and For Whom?"

The colloquium also includes presentations that are judged for the North Dakota Chapter of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Competition. Awards were presented by Dr. Michael Bouton, M.D., F.A.C.S., chair of the North Dakota Chapter. First place went to BreAnn Neiger, M.D., PGY III, who presented "ADAM 12 as a Potential Biomarker for Breast Cancer or Is It Just an Inflammatory Marker." Second place was presented to Dr. Ernst.

The colloquium also includes presentations that are judged for the North Dakota Chapter of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Competition and the North Dakota Chapter of the American College of Surgeon Committee on Trauma Competition. Dr. Johnson's presentation won this competition as well, while Kai Sharbono, M.D., PGY-III, earned second place with her presentation, "CT of C-Spine in the Pediatric Population Presenting to Sanford Hospital – 2007-11."