SSO Strategic Plan Key Project List by Pillar
Click a pillar below or scroll down to learn more about specific Strategic Plan Initiatives and their progress.
Increase the SSO's Impact Worldwide
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Increase support of International Trainees
Completed 2023
International Committee
Project Details
SSO membership has been made complimentary for international trainees at all levels and many of the trainee initiatives below have been made available to international trainees.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Include Global Partner Leaders in SSO initiatives
Completed 2023
SOI Team
Governance
Project Details
One representative from each Global Partner Society was invited to serve as an Advisory Board member on the Surgical Oncology Insight (SOI) open-access journal Editorial Board.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Expand Activities for Trainees
Completed 2024
Fellows & Young
Attendings Committee
Scientific Program Committee
Project Details
SSO has created opportunities for trainees and will continue to expand on these opportunities including: opportunity for trainees to be on SSO committees, task force focused on expanding content and opportunities for trainees, added sessions specific for trainees at SSO live meetings, trainee podcast and webinar content such as career roundtables and How to Get the Most Out of Your Fellowship webinar, and trainee primer.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Develop SSO Consensus Statements
First Consensus
Statement released
in 2024
GEP Expert Panel & Voting Groups
Project Details
SSO released its first consensus statement on GEP Testing in 2024 and a process has been developed for releasing more consensus statements in the future.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Create Scholarship Program for Resident/Medical Students
Established 2024
DEI Advisory Board
Project Details
SSO created the Foster the Future program through which five URIM Residents were selected to receive SSO membership, complimentary registration for SSO 2025, a stipend to assist with travel expenses, and each were paired with an SSO member mentor. This will be an ongoing program.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Formalize Relationship
with ASBrS
Integrated 2024
Appointed members of Breast DSWG
Project Details
SSO and the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS) have a joint committee, the Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship Training Committee consisting of jointly appointed members from both SSO and ASBrS. SSO and ASBrS also have developed a Collaborative Review Article on Neoadjuvent Therapy and are collaborating on an SSO/ASBrS Training Data Analysis Project.
Enhance Member Experience
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Develop new and enhanced member engagement opportunities
Implemented 2023
Membership Committee
Project Details
SSO has implemented multiple initiatives to enhance member engagement including: networking events at SSO Annual Meetings and other in-person events, President Updates regularly shared with membership, Year End Recap email, and expanding the eligibility criteria for committee appointment.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Launch Women in Cancer Surgery (WICS) program
Implemented 2023
WICS Work Group
Project Details
Since 2023, SSO developed a Women in Cancer Surgery Task Force which has formally built programming to create a community for women cancer surgeons and develop a variety of resources and tools they can utilize to meet their own personal and professional goals. This group develops online and in-person activities and resources. View the WICS website to learn more here.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Launch SSO open-access journal publication
Implemented 2023
Publications Committee
Project Details
SSO launched Surgical Oncology Insight (SOI), an open-access medical journal which published its inaugural issue in March 2024. SOI publishes original, peer-reviewed articles as well as reviews and commentaries of interest to a global audience of surgeons, fellows in-training, and researchers in all aspects of surgical oncology, as well as physicians and surgeons in related fields. Learn more here.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Launch mentorship opportunities for various career stages.
Implemented 2023
and 2024
Executive Council
Project Details
SSO is proud to now facilitate three mentorship programs to continue to develop leaders at various stages of their career in surgical oncology. These three programs are the Career Catalyst Mentorship program, the Presidential Scholars program, and the Foster the Future program. Learn more about each mentorship program here.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Increase engagement with non-physicians
Implemented 2024
Jill Onesti, Ken Tanabe, Membership Committee
Project Details
In 2024, SSO expanded membership to include a specific APP membership category, created an APP Task Force to begin initiatives targeted for APPs, and began developing content specifically for APPs.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Upgrade SSO’s Association Management System
Completed 2024
Executive Council
Project Details
SSO researched options to upgrade our Association Management System (AMS) software. SSO selected to upgrade to the iMIS Cloud software and successfully transitioned to this system in Fall 2024.
Advance Equitable, Patient-Centered Care
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Develop plan for Surgical Oncologists for Sustainability initiative
Implemented 2024
Shelly Hwang
Project Details
Beginning in 2024, a task force was created to develop action items focused on sustainability in the operating room. In 2025, the Surgical Oncologists for Sustainability Task Force has begun publishing sustainability tips in the monthly SSO member newsletter, have implemented ways to green the SSO Annual Meeting, and are working on additional publications and initiatives. Learn more here.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Develop a Regular Mechanism to Distribute Clinical/Scientific Advances to the Membership
Implemented 2024
Ryan Fields
Mediget Teshome
Project Details
Beginning in 2024, SSO members have begun recording podcasts after high profile meetings in surgical oncology highlighting the key takeaways from each meeting. These episodes are published through SSO’s SurgOnc Today® podcast series.
Drive the Future of Cancer Care
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Increase the Global Forum of Cancer Surgeons (GFCS) footprint
Implemented 2024
Chandra Are
GFCS Leadership
Project Details
GFCS Leadership has been working to expand the GFCS public profile online and building relationships with the global surgical oncology community. GFCS has been working on developing Global Curriculum, has participated in London Global Cancer Week two years in a row, and presented at the UICC meeting in 2024. Learn more about GFCS here.
Project Title
Status
SSO Member Lead
Intersecting Pillars
Create year-round donation opportunities for the Research and Education Fund (REF)
Implemented 2024
Development Committee
Project Details
SSO has hosted multiple giving campaigns throughout the year to raise funds for the REF including Giving Tuesday campaigns in 2023 and 2024, a virtual run fundraiser in 2024, and the Raising for Research event each year at the SSO Annual Meeting since SSO 2023. To make a contribution or learn more visit the REF website page.