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WISE students gather for surgery meeting by Cindy Abole  Public Relations Medical students interested in exploring surgery as a specialty gathered for the second annual Women in Surgery Experience (WISE) Educational Conference on General Surgery and the Future of Surgery April 21 at MUSC's Soloman/Gazes Auditorium.      The event featured an array of speakers and medical specialists who each provided an outline about their work and shared professional advice to the audience. The keynote address on  the “Future of Surgery” was delivered by Spence Taylor, M.D., chairman, Academic Department of Surgery, Greenville Hospital System. About 50 people also listened to a residency panel discussion and received guidance on applying to medical school and residency programs.   Participants attended a morning event that featured medical students—men and women from MUSC and USC’s School of Medicine, and several undergraduate students who are interested in choosing medicine or a surgical specialty.      “I’ve been to several medical conferences and this is one of the best ones I’ve ever attended,” said Leslie M. Williams, a student at Furman University. “The speakers were all very informative and made me feel comfortable with considering MUSC as a school of choice. More importantly, the speakers gave me a look into their professions.”   New to this year's conference was involvement from Surgical Training Awareness in Residency (STAR) program members who helped coordinate and sponsor the event.   The audience heard from the institution’s top specialists who spoke about the differences in surgical oncology, bariatric, transplant, vascular, cardiothoracic, trauma/critical care and plastic surgery.   The WISE program was created in 2006 to recruit female medical students to the field of surgery and is possibly the only one of its kind nationally. The program successfully developed a shadowing activity for students. In addition to hosting its annual conference, WISE members also manage an education task force and conducted career visits to Moultrie Middle and Wando High School in April.   For information about WISE, e-mail Baskettc@musc.edu.     Friday, May 11, 2007 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.