Distinguished Edward M. Copeland, MD Resident Paper Competition

Entries will be accepted for the following categories:
1. Basic Science                                         
2. Clinical Science
3. Commission on Cancer (CoC)*        
4. Advocacy
5. Education

All entries are encouraged. However, winners from another ACS local or regional chapter competition will NOT be eligible as an award finalist.

*Entries in the CoC category should be specific to oncology and related to the mission of the CoC. The CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care.

The top 3 scoring papers from each category will be selected for an oral podium presentation at the annual meeting. Entries not selected for a podium presentation will be considered for a poster presentation.

The winner of the CoC category will also be submitted for consideration in the national CoC competition held at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress.

Basic Eligibility Requirements:

Submission will be accepted from medical students, residents, and fellows. However, only residents and fellows will be considered for the paper competition. Medical students will be considered for the poster presentation.

Lead author must be enrolled in a general surgery or surgical specialty residency/fellowship training program in the state of Florida and not set to complete training before May 2026.

Primary authors may submit a maximum of two submissions.

As a condition of submission, the lead author agrees to register for meeting and present their work at the annual meeting for either a poster hall presentation (or its equivalent) or podium presentation (if selected for the competition). Additionally, a faculty representative from the lead author’s program MUST be present at the annual meeting to support the resident, fellow, or medical student.

One of the abstract authors must be a member of the Florida Chapter American College of Surgeons.

Submissions are limited to 250 words.

All entries should represent original work done by the contestant while training in the state of Florida.

Any unpublished work that has previously been accepted or presented at a national meeting is eligible. Presentation at our meeting may preclude future presentation at upcoming meetings depending on the individual societal rules. Winners from another ACS local or regional chapter competition will NOT be eligible as an award finalist.

FCACS Spectacularly Challenging Cases and Surgical Surprises

Submissions of case studies from residents and fellows (ACS and Associate Fellows only) will be considered for presentations during an interactive case presentation session at our 2026 Annual Meeting.

We are looking for surgical cases and experiences that:

• Are not routinely seen in practice
• That were treated in a unique fashion
• Cases/experiences where the clinical presentation and/or challenge of management produced knowledge and insights that have educational value

Individuals with cases that include the following components are encouraged to apply:

• Robots
• 3-D Printing
• Imaging
• New Surgical Tools and Devices
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Simulation
• Biomaterials
• Precision Medicine

Your case will be judged by a group of experts. The winner of the competition will have their case submitted to the ACS Case Reviews in Surgery Competition, where your case is guaranteed review for the publication.

Additionally, the winner of the competition will receive a free one-year subscription to the journal. Please note that the winning submission will need to be reformatted in accordance with ACS Case Reviews in Surgery Guidelines to be submitted by the Chapter.

Basic Eligibility Requirements:

This competition is open to residents and fellows (ACS Fellows and Associate Fellows only). Please note that resident submissions must have an ACS Fellow included as an author.

A valid ACS member ID number will be required to complete the submission process in order to validate eligibility.

Submissions are limited to 250 words with no more than 2 attachments.

If the case study has been published previously or is being considered for publication, it is not eligible for submission to this competition.

List the names of proprietary entities producing health care goods or services, with the exemption of non-profit or government organizations and non-health care related companies with which you have, or have had, a relevant financial relationship within the past 24 months. 

Please explain what you received using the following information as guidance, if needed.

What was received: Salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g. stocks, stock options, etc.), or other financial benefit.

Role: Employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, speaking and teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, etc.