The Society of Black Academic Surgeons membership survey: Insights on demographics, engagement, and opportunities for improvement.

Background: The Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS) sought to understand who constitutes its membership and obtain feedback to improve the organization.
Methods: SBAS conducted a 25-question survey amongst members.
Results: The response rate was 19 ​% (n ​= ​132/685) with an even gender breakdown (male n ​= ​64, female n ​= ​68). The majority identified as Black or African American (85 ​%), followed by White (12 ​%). Fifty-two percent identified as trainees, while the rest were practicing surgeons specializing in burn/trauma/critical care (19 ​%), oncology (19 ​%), and general surgery (13 ​%). Half joined SBAS within the last 3 years. Satisfaction was reported at a mean of 3.7/5. Lack of awareness (41 ​%), time (13 ​%), or interest (5 ​%) limited committee participation. Networking (83 ​%), mentorship/sponsorship/allyship (71 ​%), and leadership development (46 ​%) were most valued benefits with job boards, webinars, and grants least valuable.
Conclusion: SBAS is a unique organization uniting both new and lifetime members and opportunities exist to enhance current membership and improve participation.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Shay Behrens, Andre R. Campbell, Colin Martin, and Michael A. Edwards have no relevant financial disclosures.
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