Jenny Shao, MD, an assistant professor of Clinical Surgery, was selected as one of the “40 Under 40” female surgeons by the Association of Women Surgeons, recognized for her application of innovative technologies to improve patient care, and her academic focus on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the field of Surgery.
Shao’s role at PAH is her first job out of clinical training. She previously attended medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine, then completed a General Surgery residency at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C., and an Advanced Gastrointestinal/Minimally Invasive Surgery fellowship at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in North Carolina.
“When looking for a specialty in medical school, I felt like surgery was the most optimistic field in medicine,” said Shao. “You can help patients feel better and relieve them of any discomfort by removing a tumor or a hernia, or another condition causing them pain, and you can see more immediate results this way.”
Shao is particularly interested in robotic surgery. She has developed a robotic surgical module for residents, allowing them to get hands-on training in robotic surgery and to become more comfortable performing procedures with this technology. Outside of PAH, she serves as a committee member for the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). She has collaborated on a DEI curriculum for leaders in surgery throughout the country, which will be available to SAGES members this month, to promote an inclusive culture among surgical teams and promote health equity for their patient populations.
“It’s a very impressive body of work for someone so recently out of training and new to practice,” said Dahlia M. Sataloff, MD, FACS, chair of Surgery at PAH. “[Shao] is definitely a superstar who deserves this award.”