Nabil M Issa

Nabil M Issa is a Professor in the Department of Surgery (Trauma and Critical Care) and Medical Education at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. He is a general and acute care surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, with a focus on minimally invasive techniques including robotic and laparoscopic surgery. Dr. Issa is also a Master Surgeon Educator and holds leadership roles in national surgical education organizations.

Dr. Issa's educational background includes:

• MD: Al Mustansiriya University College of Medicine (1988)
• FRCS: Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom (1997)
• FACS: Fellow of the American Board of Surgery with additional qualification in Surgical Critical Care (2007)
• FCCM: Fellow of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (2007)
• MHPE: Master's in Health Professions Education, University of Illinois at Chicago (2016)

Dr. Issa's research focuses on surgical education, particularly in creating innovative curricula and assessing technical and cognitive skills acquisition. His work spans simulation, team science, and outcome measures in trauma and critical care. He investigates evidence-based practices for surgeon credentialing and emphasizes patient education and quality improvement in acute care settings.

His recent publications reflect a strong commitment to diversity in surgical training, trauma outcomes research, and sustainability in surgery. Dr. Issa examines disparities in fellowship training, morbidity in vulnerable populations, and the validation of injury severity metrics. His work bridges clinical care with educational innovation and systems-level improvements in surgical practice.

Dr. Issa has received numerous honors and awards, including:

• Excellence in Teaching Award, Northwestern University Department of Surgery (2023)
• Professorship in Surgery, Northwestern University (2023)
• Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, American College of Surgeons (2022)
• Member in the National Committee on Trauma (COT), American College of Surgeons (2022)
• Presidential Citation, Surgical Critical Care Program Directors Society (SCCPDS) (2021)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Feinberg School of Medicine (2019)
• Best Trauma/SICU Teacher Award, Department of Emergency Medicine (2019)
• Presidential Citation, Surgical Infection Society (2012)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Feinberg School of Medicine, Surgical Residency Program (2011)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Northwestern University (2011)
• Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence, Feinberg School of Medicine (2011)
• Presidential Citation, Society of Critical Care Medicine (2010)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Feinberg School of Medicine, Surgical Clerkship (2010)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Feinberg School of Medicine, Surgical Residency Program (2010)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Feinberg School of Medicine, Surgical Clerkship (2009)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Feinberg School of Medicine, Surgical Residency Program (2009)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Feinberg School of Medicine, Surgical Residency Program (2008)

Dr. Issa serves as a faculty mentor for the Surgical Education Research Fellowship (SERF) and has held leadership roles in surgical education committees. His leadership includes:

• Chair, Association for Surgical Education (2024-Present)
• Co-chair, Association for Surgical Education (2023-Present)
• Chair, Development Committee at ASE (2019-Present)
• Member, Executive committee for ASE Foundation (2019-Present)
• Chair, Awards Committee- Association for Surgical Education-ASE (2018-Present)
• Vice President, Chicago Committee on Trauma (2015-Present)

Dr. Issa has developed and leads simulation-based educational initiatives at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, focusing on acute care and surgical skills. He collaborates with multidisciplinary teams in trauma, critical care, and surgical education to design curricula that address the continuum of surgical training.