Residents, medical students present at Southeastern Surgical Congress
Posted on May 4, 2026 by Carol McPhail
Surgical residents from USA Health and medical students from the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine gave presentations at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Surgical Congress recently.
The conference, held at Amelia Island, Florida, in February, drew surgeons, subspecialists, residents and medical students to present, evaluate and discuss current knowledge and research in general surgery.
Alexander McNally, M.D., a fourth-year surgery resident at USA Health, presented a poster titled 鈥淓ffects of Alcohol on Disposition Time for Minorly Injured Trauma Patients.鈥�
鈥淭he objective of this study was to assess outcomes among our community trauma patient population and optimize institutional protocols to enhance patient outcomes,鈥� McNally said. He was mentored by Caleb Butts, M.D., a USA Health trauma and burn surgeon and an associate professor of surgery at the Whiddon College of Medicine.
Sam Motz, a fourth-year medical student, presented a poster titled 鈥淭he Impact of a Geriatric Trauma Protocol on Outcomes in Pelvic and Femur Injuries.鈥�
Motz鈥檚 research concluded that the implementation of a geriatric trauma protocol in patients with pelvic and femur fractures was associated with improved efficiency of care, decreased hospital utilization, and trends toward better discharge outcomes
鈥淭hese findings highlight the value of multidisciplinary geriatric-specific trauma care in high-risk fracture patterns,鈥� he said. 鈥淗owever, larger studies are warranted to confirm these improvements and assess long-term functional recovery and healthcare costs.
Motz was mentored by Maryann Mbaka, M.D., a trauma surgeon at USA Health and an associate professor of surgery at the Whiddon College of Medicine.
Carlysle Salter, a third-year medical student, presented 鈥淩obotic Surgery in Acute Care: Development of an Educational Pathway and Single-Institution Outcomes.鈥�
鈥淭he main finding was that robotic surgery is feasible for acute-care surgeries,鈥� said Salter, who was mentored by Mbaka.
Other presentations included:
- Ciara Jenkins. M.D., a fourth-year surgery resident, presented 鈥淎 case of Fatal Vasculitis Without Fasciitis Caused by Photobacterium Damselae.鈥� She was mentored by Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D., trauma and burn surgeon and associate professor of surgery.
- Danielle Stephens, M.D., a second-year surgery resident, presented 鈥淐ardiopulmonary Bypass in the Management of Retrohepatic IVC Injuries: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.鈥� She was mentored by Steven Miller, M.D., trauma surgeon and assistant professor of surgery.
- Juan Borja Ceballos, M.D., a first-year surgery resident, presented two research studies: 鈥淪curvy in Surgical Patients, A Disease of the Past?鈥� and 鈥淪leeve Gastrectomy Outcomes Using Titan Stapler.鈥� He was mentored by William Richards, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery.
- Nicole Lemon, a second-year medical student, presented 鈥淩IG Implementation to Decrease Complications in Trauma Patients.鈥� She was mentored by Butts.
- Tillery French, a second-year medical student, presented 鈥淓valuating Utility of Routine Post-operative Transthoracic Echocardiography in Patients with Penetrating Cardiac Injuries.鈥� She was mentored by Butts.