As a young surgeon, Angela Gucwa is a member of a number of different professional organizations, but one of the most prestigious is the American College of Surgeons. Angela Gucwa became a member of the American College of Surgeons seven years ago after graduating from medical school at the Medical College of Georgia in 2006.

“Becoming a member of the American College of Surgeons was one moment where it all became real. I finished medical school and I was getting ready to enter residency, and I was a surgeon,” explains Angela Gucwa. “I developed a whole new identity. I wasn’t just Angela anymore. I was Dr. Gucwa, the surgeon. Joining the American College of Surgeons was a step towards the dream of being a surgeon, helping people, and saving lives.”

Now that she is marking seven years with the American College of Surgeons, Angela Gucwa recognizes that she has reaped the rewards at every turn. “I’ve been blessed to meet some amazing mentors through the American College of Surgeons,” says Angela Gucwa. “Being a part of the American College of Surgeons is one way of cultivating professional relationships. I can experience a collegial interaction with a doctor from across the country with whom I may never work, but with whom I share common ground through the American College of Surgeons,” explains Angela Gucwa.

During her time with the American College of Surgeons, Angela Gucwa has served on the Education committee and the Young Surgeons committee. Belonging to those committees was a way for Angela Gucwa to contribute to the organization that has benefited her so greatly over the last several years. Now, having experienced the benefits of belonging to a professional organization like the American College of Surgeons, Angela Gucwa always encourages her peers to join these organizations.

“I ask all of my friends about the professional organizations they are involved in. In some ways I’m like a proselytizer for the American College of Surgeons and other professional organizations. I believe people should join,” says Angela Gucwa. “There really is no downside to becoming part of a professional organization. I’ve only seen rewards.”