Association of Women Surgeons
About Association of Women Surgeons
Founded in 1981, the Association of Women Surgeons represents a 40+ year commitment to inspiring, encouraging, and enabling surgeons to realize their professional and personal goals. Headquartered in Lexington, KY, this international fellowship of dedicated surgical professionals has grown to include approximately 3,700 members of all genders, united by a shared mission to address critical challenges facing the surgical profession today.
AWS operates on core values of equity, professional development, organizational effectiveness, integrity, community, and inclusivity. The organization actively confronts barriers in surgery through meaningful mentorship, sponsorship, and advocacy, supporting surgeons at every life stage from medical school through retirement. AWS is deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), actively promoting full participation regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. The organization recognizes that diverse lived experiences are essential to serving communities and achieving health equity.
Beyond individual member support, AWS addresses systemic challenges affecting all surgeons including pay equity, work-life balance, family leave policies, ergonomics, and healthcare reform. The organization's foundation provides philanthropic support through donations, endowments, and donor recognition programs that fuel these initiatives. With team members and offices spanning Kentucky, Washington DC, and beyond, AWS operates as a truly collaborative community where surgeons find not just professional advancement, but personal fulfillment. The organization's motto—'Together We Are Better'—reflects its fundamental belief that collective action and mutual support create a better future for all surgeons. Serving the Lexington, Kentucky community while maintaining global reach, AWS continues its legacy of transforming the surgical profession.