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Society of Surgical Oncology > Education > Upcoming Education > Careers in Surgical Oncology Webinar

Careers in Surgical Oncology Webinar

Date & Time: Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM CST ┃Virtual

This webinar will focus on an in-depth discussion of the pathways, decisions, and transitions throughout a surgical oncologist’s career. Participants will explore the fellowship application process for Complex General Surgical Oncology (CGSO) and Breast Surgical Oncology, hear from current fellows and early-career surgeons, and gain insight into the real-world expectations and experiences in practice across various subspecialties. Attendees will be asked to choose their top 3 rooms prior to the webinar.

Attendees will engage with diverse voices from the SPHERE Committee, including fellowship directors, fellows, and practicing surgeons from a variety of institutional settings. This session will provide valuable guidance for trainees, residents, and early-career physicians interested in pursuing or learning more about surgical oncology.

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Webinar Speakers

Moderators

Vivian J. Bea, MD an Assistant Professor of Surgery at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medicine, and Section Chief of Breast Surgical Oncology At New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Dr. Bea received her master’s degree in biology from Drexel University and her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine. She is board-certified in General Surgery and completed her training in General Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Bea then went on to complete a fellowship in Breast Surgical Oncology at the prestigious University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She is a breast cancer disparities researcher, educator, and community outreach leader. As a leader in the community, Dr. Bea has focused on bridging the gap between multidisciplinary breast cancer treatment and community barriers. Dr. Bea’s dedication to the community is evident in her multifaceted community outreach programs designed to address breast cancer disparities in Black women through increased breast cancer screening, innovative community education, and navigation. She is the creator and course director for the Weill Cornell Medicine Breast Health Disparities annual CME Symposium whose goal is to provide breast cancer education to community clinicians within targeted communities. Most recently, Dr. Bea was awarded the prestigious American Medical Association’s National Minority Quality Forums Braintrust, “Top 40 under 40 in Minority Health” for her dedication to community outreach and research. Her clinical and research interests include management of the axilla, inflammatory breast cancer management in underserved populations as well as identifying and eliminating breast cancer diagnosis and treatment disparities. Dr. Bea is the founder of G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Loving OurSelves Successfully), a program focused on mentoring young women. Understanding the importance of representation and diversity in books, she founded the Chocolate Kid Chronicles, publishing her first children’s book in the series, an Amazon Best Seller, the “Chocolate Kid Chronicles: Please Don’t Touch My Magical Hair.” Dr. Bea is the recipient of a host of awards and accolades for her accomplishments and has been featured on ABC News, CBS News, USA Today, the NY Post, and Essence and Allure Magazines.
Dr. George Molina is a Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgical Oncologist at Mass General Brigham and an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He earned an MPH in Quantitative Methods from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, trained in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, completed a research fellowship at Ariadne Labs, and completed the Mass General Brigham/Dana-Farber Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship. His research focuses on improving the safety, quality, and equity of cancer surgery through health systems innovation.

Breakout Room One: The Fellowship Process

Sean Dineen, MD, MHPE, is a Senior Member and Vice-Chair for Education in the Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center. He is a surgical oncologist and specializes in the management of peritoneal surface malignancies, including cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
 
Dr. Dineen’s clinical and research interests focus on appendiceal, colorectal, and gastric cancers with peritoneal metastases, novel regional therapies, and improving outcomes for patients with advanced gastrointestinal malignancies. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and is actively involved in national collaborative efforts to advance the treatment of peritoneal disease.
 
He has a commitment to surgical education and currently serves as Program Director of the Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Moffitt. He was previously Chair of the CGSO Program Directors Committee for the SSO. He currently is a member of the Review Committee for Surgery in the ACGME.
Dr. Jennifer Plichta is the E. Fulton Brylawski Associate Professor in Women’s Health at the Duke University Medical Center, where she serves as the Director of the Breast Risk Assessment Clinic, Co-Director for the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program, and Program Director of the Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship. Her clinical interests include establishing routine breast cancer risk assessment for women and creating personalized management strategies for those found to be “high risk.” Dr. Plichta’s research focuses of identifying and managing women with risk factors for breast cancer, and she is also studying how breast cancer staging can be used to improve patient care and education.
Dr. Celia R. Ledet is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Co-Director of the Knox Program. She earned her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed both her General Surgery residency and fellowship training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Ledet is double board certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.
 
Her clinical and research interests focus on optimizing surgical outcomes for patients across the cancer care continuum, including those undergoing active treatment, with suspected malignancy, or long-term survivorship. Early in her career, she evaluated minimally invasive approaches in colorectal cancer, and her work has since expanded to broader outcomes research in surgical oncology.
 
Dr. Ledet is deeply committed to mentorship and leadership development, having guided numerous students, trainees, and residents. She extends this impact through executive coaching for leaders at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Lastly, she has leadership roles in the South Texas Chapter of the ACS, Society of Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) and Americas Hernia Society (AHS).

Amanda L. Kong, MD, MS, is a Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Kong received her undergraduate degree at Brown University and her MD from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She completed her general surgery residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City followed by a Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She joined the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2008 where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology in 2010. Her research focuses on breast cancer disparities, outcomes and processes of care, as well as improving the quality of life for breast cancer patients.

Breakout Room Two: From Fellowship to Practice

Dr. Solange Bayard is a Breast Surgical Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She completed her General Surgery residency at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine, where she also earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services Research, followed by fellowship training in Breast Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
 
As the daughter of immigrants, Dr. Bayard is passionate about expanding access to surgical oncology careers and improving cancer outcomes for historically underserved communities. Her research focuses on breast cancer disparities, with a particular interest in the intersection of tumor biology, genomics, and social determinants of health among patients of African ancestry. Throughout her training, she has been actively involved in mentorship and pipeline programs aimed at supporting students and trainees from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing careers in medicine and surgery.
 
Outside of work, Dr. Bayard enjoys gardening, cooking, exploring new music, and spending time with her growing family.

Aeryn Kangas-Dick is a GI surgical oncologist and assistant professor of surgery at the West Michigan Cancer Center and the Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine at Western Michigan University where she serves as the associate clerkship director for General Surgery. Her clinical practice focuses on esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic malignancies, with a special focus on minimally invasive approaches to complex oncologic operations. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and St. George’s University School of Medicine. She completed General Surgery residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, as well as a research fellowship in surgical oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. She completed her fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY.

Jad M. Abdelsattar, MD, is a board-certified, SSO fellowship-trained Breast Surgical Oncologist with advanced training in Oncoplastic Surgery from the University of Southern California–Hoag Memorial Presbyterian fellowship program. He completed his General Surgery Residency at West Virginia University following a 1-year preliminary General Surgery Internship and a 2-year Surgical Education & Simulation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Abdelsattar is a published author whose book, Mayo Clinic General Surgery, was published worldwide by Oxford University Press in 2020. Since immigrating from Jordan 13 years ago, he has developed a track record in academic surgery, translational clinical AI, surgical innovation, and DEI advocacy. He currently serves on multiple national committees, including the inaugural ASBrS AI Task Force. His research focuses on clinical AI and precision breast oncology, particularly on the responsible integration of AI into multidisciplinary cancer care. Dr. Abdelsattar will begin his M.Sc. program at the University of Oxford in late 2026, where his thesis will tackle clinical AI governance and emerging technologies in breast cancer care.

Breakout Room Three: Surgical Oncology in Practice

Dr. Eguia, MD, MS, MHA, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Loma Linda University. Dr. Eguia holds a Bachelor of Science in Cell Molecular Developmental Biology and a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Washington. He earned his Medical Doctorate from the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Eguia later obtained a Master of Science in clinical research methods and epidemiology from Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Eguia completed his general surgery residency at Loyola University and completed a two-year NIH T-32 Health Science Research Fellowship. He completed a fellowship in Complex General Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
 
Dr. Eguia specializes in hepatobiliary, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal cancers, with a particular emphasis on minimally invasive surgical techniques that enhance patient outcomes. His research focuses on harnessing the power of translational artificial intelligence to develop innovative clinical decision-support tools aimed at improving access to high-quality surgical oncology care for patients in underserved and low-resource communities. Driven by a deep commitment to advancing the field, Dr. Eguia’s expertise and vision are reshaping surgical outcomes, oncology research, and whole-person oncologic surgical care for patients.
Madeline B. Torres, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and Cooper University Health Care/MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. She is a complex general surgical oncologist with a interest in GI malignancies and soft tissue sarcomas.
 
Dr. Torres was born and raised in El Salvador, she is a first-generation surgeon, she completed medical school at the University of Utah, general surgery residency at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and complex general surgical oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research focuses on translational strategies to improve outcomes for patients with aggressive gastrointestinal cancers and sarcomas, including biomarker-driven approaches in CDH1-deficient gastric cancer and Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling in soft tissue sarcoma. She is also committed to surgical education, mentorship, and advancing equity and inclusion in academic surgery.
Hannah E. Woriax is a Breast Surgical Oncologist at McLeod Health Seacoast in Little River, SC. She completed her undergraduate studies in Molecular Biology at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where she was selected as an NIH RISE fellow and graduate of the Honors College. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she received her medical degree from The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. She then went on to General Surgery residency at Virginia Tech-Carilion Clinic in Roanoke Virginia. After residency, she completed Breast Surgical Oncology fellowship at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Her research interests include disparities in breast cancer outcomes, disproportionate recruitment in breast cancer clinical trials and the aftereffects of this, management of the axilla after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, genetics vs. epigenetics in the outcomes of underrepresented populations.
Dr. Tammy Ju is a fellowship trained Breast Surgical Oncologist practicing at New York-Presbyterian Queens Weill Cornell Medicine located in Flushing, NY. She received her medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine and completed her residency in General Surgery at George Washington University. She completed fellowship training in Breast Surgical Oncology at Stanford University. Dr. Ju’s research interests include clinical outcomes, health disparities, and innovation in breast cancer surgery. 

Breakout Room Four: Life of the Academic Research Surgical Oncology 

Dr. Crisanta H. Ilagan is a current fellow in Complex General Surgical Oncology at Loma Linda University Health. Born in the Philippines, Dr. Ilagan grew up in Vallejo, CA and completed her undergraduate work at the University of California – Berkeley, with dual degrees in Molecular & Cell Biology and Psychology with a minor in Comparative Literature. She has extensive experience in community and labor union organizing. Dr. Ilagan also had a prolific career in health economics and outcomes research prior to completing her medical education at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where she focused on urban medicine, public health and working with underserved populations. Dr. Ilagan is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society, and she completed her General Surgery Residency at the State University of New York (SUNY) – Downstate. Dr. Ilagan also completed a post-doctoral research fellowship with the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is the incoming Vice Chair of the American College of Surgeons Resident and Associate Society (ACS RAS). Dr. Ilagan is committed to improving outcomes for all patients and is passionate about working with underserved populations and improving access to healthcare.

Dr. Chandler Cortina is a breast surgical oncologist and NIH-funded health services researcher at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the MCW Cancer Center. He earned undergraduate and medical degrees from Louisiana State University, completed general surgery residency at Rush University Medical Center, and fellowship training in breast surgical oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. His research focuses on the impact of gender-affirming therapies on breast cancer screening, risk, and treatment in gender-diverse populations; the influence of novel systemic therapies on multidisciplinary breast cancer care; and strategies to translate clinical trial findings into real-world practice. His work has been supported by multiple grants, including NIH K08 and R03 awards, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment. He is actively involved in the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Surgical Collaborative of Wisconsin. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and serves on the editorial boards of Annals of Surgical Oncology and Journal of Surgical Oncology and as a section editor for Current Breast Cancer Reports.

Dr. George Molina is a Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgical Oncologist at Mass General Brigham and an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He earned an MPH in Quantitative Methods from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, trained in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, completed a research fellowship at Ariadne Labs, and completed the Mass General Brigham/Dana-Farber Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship. His research focuses on improving the safety, quality, and equity of cancer surgery through health systems innovation.

Breakout Room Five: The Quiet SPHERE Wellness for the Surgical Oncologist

Vivian J. Bea, MD an Assistant Professor of Surgery at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medicine, and Section Chief of Breast Surgical Oncology At New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Dr. Bea received her master’s degree in biology from Drexel University and her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine. She is board-certified in General Surgery and completed her training in General Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Bea then went on to complete a fellowship in Breast Surgical Oncology at the prestigious University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She is a breast cancer disparities researcher, educator, and community outreach leader. As a leader in the community, Dr. Bea has focused on bridging the gap between multidisciplinary breast cancer treatment and community barriers. Dr. Bea’s dedication to the community is evident in her multifaceted community outreach programs designed to address breast cancer disparities in Black women through increased breast cancer screening, innovative community education, and navigation. She is the creator and course director for the Weill Cornell Medicine Breast Health Disparities annual CME Symposium whose goal is to provide breast cancer education to community clinicians within targeted communities. Most recently, Dr. Bea was awarded the prestigious American Medical Association’s National Minority Quality Forums Braintrust, “Top 40 under 40 in Minority Health” for her dedication to community outreach and research. Her clinical and research interests include management of the axilla, inflammatory breast cancer management in underserved populations as well as identifying and eliminating breast cancer diagnosis and treatment disparities. Dr. Bea is the founder of G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Loving OurSelves Successfully), a program focused on mentoring young women. Understanding the importance of representation and diversity in books, she founded the Chocolate Kid Chronicles, publishing her first children’s book in the series, an Amazon Best Seller, the “Chocolate Kid Chronicles: Please Don’t Touch My Magical Hair.” Dr. Bea is the recipient of a host of awards and accolades for her accomplishments and has been featured on ABC News, CBS News, USA Today, the NY Post, and Essence and Allure Magazines.
Dr. Rosalinda Alvarado, MD, is a breast surgical oncologist at the Rush MD Anderson Cancer Center in Chicago, Illinois. She specializes in the treatment of both benign and malignant breast diseases. She serves as an associate professor in the division of Surgical Oncology and diversity officer for the department of surgery at Rush university. She earned her medical degree from Stanford University school of medicine, completed her residency at Rush medical College and finalized her training as a fellow in breast Surgical Oncology at the university of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Jasmine Walker is originally from the rural community of New Knoxville, Ohio. From there, she attended Yale University where she majored in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. Prior to attending medical school, she relocated to Indianapolis, IN, where she spent three years teaching high school and also earned her master’s degree in teaching. She then attended medical school at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed general surgery residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. While at Vanderbilt, she also completed a Master of Public Health. She then completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, prior to joining the faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Kenneth Lipshy, MD, FACS, MEdHPE, completed his Surgical Oncology Fellowship in 1996 at the Medical College of Virginia. He has been a Chief of Surgery in the VA for 25 years and is currently a Professor of Surgery at Wake Forest University. He has had a strong interest in UGME and GME education and recently completed a MEdHPE at Uniformed Services University Health Sciences.
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