Robert Sweet Receives the Excel Award from The Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeons

The Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeons has announced that their 2023 recipient of the Excel Award is Professor Robert Sweet, MD from the University of Washington's Urology Department. The Excel Award is awarded to a surgeon for exceptional contributions in the fields of laparoscopy, endoscopy, minimally invasive surgery, and robotic surgery. Dr. Sweet was awarded for contributions to minimally invasive surgery throughout his lifetime. SLS recognizes his leadership and research/development efforts in simulation and training.

Dr. Sweet was the founding medical director of the UW Medicine Kidney Stone Center and transitioned into Chief of the Division of Healthcare Simulation Sciences. He is not only the Executive Director of The WWAMI Institute for Simulation in Healthcare (WISH) But he also directs the Center for Research in Education and Simulation Technologies (CREST). As a professor in the Urology Department, Dr. Sweet helped develop the Surgical Simulation Fellowship Accreditation Program for the American College of Surgeons Division of Education. He progressed these educational programs not only here at the University of Washington, but also at the University of Minnesota. This program allowed him to be inducted as a member of the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.

The SLS Excel Award is not the first time Dr. Sweet has been recognized. In 2019 he earned the “Leaders in Health Care, Achievement in Medical Technology” Gold award in honor of all his leadership impacts on healthcare education by Seattle Business Magazine In addition, he is an “Arthur Smith Award” winner. He earned this honor for contributing the largest impact to endourology in his first ten years of practice internationally.

Dr. Sweet will be collecting his award on October 7, 2023 at the Society's MISWeek Annual Conference.