In 2023, the UAB Department of Surgery is highlighting the many accomplished alumni of its General Surgery Residency Program and associated divisional fellowships.
Our first alumni spotlight is Sophie Dream, M.D., FACS, who graduated from the AAES Endocrine Surgery Fellowship program at UAB in 2019. Dr. Dream is now an Assistant Professor of Surgical Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW).
In our last visit with Dr. Dream in 2021, she had just performed the first retroperitoneoscopic robotic adrenalectomy at Milwaukee Veteran’s Affairs Hospital and had recently begun a Thyroid Nodule Radiofrequency Ablation program at MCW.
Dr. Dream now serves as the Program Director of the Endocrine Surgery Fellowship Program for MWC and will soon have her Master of Public Health degree.
In looking back on her time at UAB as a now-leading surgeon-scientist, she attributes time in the fellowship to her dedication to research to inform her practice.
"I learned through my time in my fellowship training at UAB that I was very capable of developing questions and answering them," said Dr. Dream.
Last year, she published a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association, one of the highest-ranking surgery journals in the world, and currently has another project submitted for review.
Dr. Dream also reflects that the mentorship and supportive network she developed at UAB have been key to her continued success as a surgeon-scientist.
"The UAB Endocrine Surgery fellowship program really evaluates the areas you want to pursue and helps you put your potential in the right direction," Dr. Dream said. "Looking back, the entire team is there to help you at every step in your career. Now I know just how much you truly are a part of the family, in training and beyond."
To residents considering a potential fellowship in endocrine surgery at UAB, Dream notes that the journey is "a lot of work but definitely worth it."
We certainly can't wait to see the many amazing things that Dr. Dream continues to accomplish in 2023 and beyond!