Shaping Tomorrow's Leaders: Society of Asian Academic Surgeon's Role in Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Surgeon Leadership.

Abstract

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have historically had limited representation in academic surgery leadership. Recent years witnessed a rise in professional organizations, like the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons (SAAS), to support AAPI surgeons' careers. The aim of this project was to evaluate changes in AAPI representation in academic surgical leadership since 2009 and to explore the influence of SAAS on these trends. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have historically been underrepresented in academic surgical leadership. Recent initiatives, including the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons (SAAS), have sought to address this gap. Data on AAPI surnames were collected from US academic institutions, professional societies, and editorial boards of surgical journals databases and compared with data from a 2009 study to track representation trends over time. Our study revealed a remarkable transformation in AAPI representation within academic surgery. AAPI chairs of surgery surged from 8 in 2009 to 32 in 2024, marking a notable 300% rise. AAPI representation on top five journal boards grew substantially, from 2% in 2009 to 13.5% in 2024, with JAMA Surgery now boasting a one-third AAPI representation. In 2009, seven out of ten professional organizations lacked AAPI members on their governing boards, contrasting with AAPI individuals constituting 25% of all governing board members across these organizations in 2024. Over the past 15 years, AAPI representation in academic surgical leadership has grown substantially, including increases in the number of chairs of surgery and members of editorial and governing boards. These gains align with intentional initiatives to support AAPI surgeons, particularly the establishment of SAAS, which has provided mentorship, sponsorship, and recognition opportunities. While multiple factors likely contributed, the temporal association and mission of SAAS strongly suggest it has played an important role. Sustained efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion will be essential to maintain and expand these advancements.