Thousands of surgeons working in largely isolated rural communities in the United States will be able to communicate, collaborate and share knowledge with each other via a new online community from the American College of Surgeons.

Through a secure site powered by Within3, the online community will connect rural surgeons, who often work alone and far from large medical institutions, to their peers, letting them share resources and knowledge despite their georgraphical distances from one another.

"This is not a social media site that tries to be something for everybody," says ACS Executive Director David Hoyt, MD, FACS, of the online community, which will be launched next month at the annual Rural Surgery Symposium and Workshop. "We've spent extensive time interviewing our rural surgeon members and feel this community will offer them a secure site where they can upload images, case studies and research so they can collaborate virtually, using the latest technology in a way that hasn't been available to them before."

The ACS says the website will offer interactive discussions, spotlights on specific topics, educational opportunities, and news and information on surgical advancements.

Irene Tsikitas