History of ARCS | 1987 - 2000
1987
San Francisco, CA
It was 1987 and Dr. Paul Friedmann was President of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery and Chair of the Department of Surgery. He brought colleagues to the meeting, Dr. Nick Coe, (from Baystate Medical Center) and Dr. Kay Lane (consultant from New York). Also attending the meeting was Dr. Ellen Hrabovsky from West Virginia University and her Educational Coordinator (Linda Shaffer) and a hand full of other coordinators attending (Jean Norwood, Chapel Hill, NC, and Rusty Ellis, Houston, TX, to name a few). Several of the APDS members met at a local restaurant for lunch and Dr. Friedmann lead a discussion that went something like this: “where are we going as a group, what’s our mission, what are we trying to accomplish”. It must have been this discussion and the presence of educational coordinators at that luncheon that stuck in Dr. Friedmann’s mind, because after he returned to Baystate, he along with Drs. Coe and Lane approached Paula Ruscio (Educational Coordinator) thereafter and invited her to attend 1988 APDS meeting. Dr. Lane also invited the Educational Coordinator in New York (Sarida Paley) to attend and work with Paula to give a workshop for the following year.
1988
Dallas, Texas
The Association of Residency Coordinators in Surgery (ARCS) began in 1988 in Dallas, Texas at the Annual Spring Meeting of The Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) with Paula Ruscio and Sarida Paley organizing the first meeting with approximately thirty coordinators attending. A workshop on "The Role of the Education Coordinator" was presented and it generated interest and enthusiasm for the start of an organization of coordinators.
1989
Salt Lake City, Utah
It was the focus of this meeting to discuss the importance and need of a coordinator. An ARCS business meeting was held following the closure of the APDS meeting. Representatives from the Residency Review Committee for Surgery spent time talking with coordinators.
1990
San Antonio, Texas
The business meeting established our organization's name and preliminary discussions were held with Dr. Arthur Aufses, President of the APDS with the decision being that ARCS would be formally recognized by the APDS. A national newsletter was generated as a result of this meeting. The conclusion of this meeting brought together the first Steering Committee. It was decided that a steering committee planning meeting would take place in the fall of each year to organize the upcoming annual meeting. The first planning session was hosted by Monna Finkle in Kansas City, MO, Sept.14 -15, 1990. It was during this meeting that Paula Ruscio became the official Chair of ARCS.
1991
LaJolla, California
With 71 coordinators in attendance, ARCS membership continued to grow.
1992
New Orleans, Louisiana
Eighty-eight coordinators attending the conference in New Orleans in March of 1992
1993
Dallas, Texas
At the conference a formal subcommittee was set up to tackle the issue of the generic job description. Guidelines were discussed but not in place at this time
1994
Orlando, Florida
Orlando turned out to be a great site for the 1994 meeting with 113 attendees. Important changes were introduced at this time - the establishment of the Guidelines and a new program format incorporating extended ARCS sessions at the annual meeting. The annual "New Coordinators Workshop" was begun.
1995
Boston, Massachusetts
The annual meeting was held to a larger membership. With this meeting, the Chair of ARCS now attends the APDS Board of Directors meetings and will have voting privileges. At this time, the revised Guidelines with regards to the term of the Chair, were accepted.
1996
Phoenix, Arizona
The interactive sessions with Steering Committee members acting as facilitators was introduced into the conference format.
1997
San Diego, California
The annual meeting held boasted a registration of 143 coordinators. This was also the first meeting to have the RRC Executive Director, Dr. Boberg, address ARCS.
1998
Baltimore, Maryland
The site of our 1998 annual meeting with a recording breaking attendance of 159 coordinators! The unveiling of the ARCS Survival Guide took place and was used as a reference throughout the meeting. ERAS was introduced, and Thomas Biester presented "Improving Interactions with the Board (ABS)".
1999
Orlando, Florida
The location for our 1999 annual meeting with 147 coordinators in attendance. The ARCS Guidelines (now ARCS Bylaws) had been revised and were approved by the APDS. For the first time, the APDS President addressed our organization and we are hopeful that this will become an annual appearance in our program. An Open Forum at the conclusion of the meeting was successfully initiated.
2000
Phoenix, Arizona
The 2000 annual meeting and attendance at the meetings continues to increase. The Open Forum was held to wrap up the meeting with topics for next years meeting being discussed.
San Francisco, CA
It was 1987 and Dr. Paul Friedmann was President of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery and Chair of the Department of Surgery. He brought colleagues to the meeting, Dr. Nick Coe, (from Baystate Medical Center) and Dr. Kay Lane (consultant from New York). Also attending the meeting was Dr. Ellen Hrabovsky from West Virginia University and her Educational Coordinator (Linda Shaffer) and a hand full of other coordinators attending (Jean Norwood, Chapel Hill, NC, and Rusty Ellis, Houston, TX, to name a few). Several of the APDS members met at a local restaurant for lunch and Dr. Friedmann lead a discussion that went something like this: “where are we going as a group, what’s our mission, what are we trying to accomplish”. It must have been this discussion and the presence of educational coordinators at that luncheon that stuck in Dr. Friedmann’s mind, because after he returned to Baystate, he along with Drs. Coe and Lane approached Paula Ruscio (Educational Coordinator) thereafter and invited her to attend 1988 APDS meeting. Dr. Lane also invited the Educational Coordinator in New York (Sarida Paley) to attend and work with Paula to give a workshop for the following year.
1988
Dallas, Texas
The Association of Residency Coordinators in Surgery (ARCS) began in 1988 in Dallas, Texas at the Annual Spring Meeting of The Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) with Paula Ruscio and Sarida Paley organizing the first meeting with approximately thirty coordinators attending. A workshop on "The Role of the Education Coordinator" was presented and it generated interest and enthusiasm for the start of an organization of coordinators.
1989
Salt Lake City, Utah
It was the focus of this meeting to discuss the importance and need of a coordinator. An ARCS business meeting was held following the closure of the APDS meeting. Representatives from the Residency Review Committee for Surgery spent time talking with coordinators.
1990
San Antonio, Texas
The business meeting established our organization's name and preliminary discussions were held with Dr. Arthur Aufses, President of the APDS with the decision being that ARCS would be formally recognized by the APDS. A national newsletter was generated as a result of this meeting. The conclusion of this meeting brought together the first Steering Committee. It was decided that a steering committee planning meeting would take place in the fall of each year to organize the upcoming annual meeting. The first planning session was hosted by Monna Finkle in Kansas City, MO, Sept.14 -15, 1990. It was during this meeting that Paula Ruscio became the official Chair of ARCS.
1991
LaJolla, California
With 71 coordinators in attendance, ARCS membership continued to grow.
1992
New Orleans, Louisiana
Eighty-eight coordinators attending the conference in New Orleans in March of 1992
1993
Dallas, Texas
At the conference a formal subcommittee was set up to tackle the issue of the generic job description. Guidelines were discussed but not in place at this time
1994
Orlando, Florida
Orlando turned out to be a great site for the 1994 meeting with 113 attendees. Important changes were introduced at this time - the establishment of the Guidelines and a new program format incorporating extended ARCS sessions at the annual meeting. The annual "New Coordinators Workshop" was begun.
1995
Boston, Massachusetts
The annual meeting was held to a larger membership. With this meeting, the Chair of ARCS now attends the APDS Board of Directors meetings and will have voting privileges. At this time, the revised Guidelines with regards to the term of the Chair, were accepted.
1996
Phoenix, Arizona
The interactive sessions with Steering Committee members acting as facilitators was introduced into the conference format.
1997
San Diego, California
The annual meeting held boasted a registration of 143 coordinators. This was also the first meeting to have the RRC Executive Director, Dr. Boberg, address ARCS.
1998
Baltimore, Maryland
The site of our 1998 annual meeting with a recording breaking attendance of 159 coordinators! The unveiling of the ARCS Survival Guide took place and was used as a reference throughout the meeting. ERAS was introduced, and Thomas Biester presented "Improving Interactions with the Board (ABS)".
1999
Orlando, Florida
The location for our 1999 annual meeting with 147 coordinators in attendance. The ARCS Guidelines (now ARCS Bylaws) had been revised and were approved by the APDS. For the first time, the APDS President addressed our organization and we are hopeful that this will become an annual appearance in our program. An Open Forum at the conclusion of the meeting was successfully initiated.
2000
Phoenix, Arizona
The 2000 annual meeting and attendance at the meetings continues to increase. The Open Forum was held to wrap up the meeting with topics for next years meeting being discussed.