Contentious Relationship with the American College of Surgeons

The speaker discusses his ongoing conflict with the American College of Surgeons (ACS), which began after he expressed concerns about the organization's shift from prioritizing surgical excellence to emphasizing diversity and inclusion. He became a fellow of the ACS and practiced surgery for over 30 years before raising alarms about a lecture he read that focused solely on diversity, neglecting the concept of excellence. This led him to publish a commentary in the ACS bulletin, expressing his fears about how this shift could impact standards in the field of surgery. The polarization around these issues intensified following the George Floyd incident, leading to swift changes within the ACS that the speaker contends undermined surgical quality.