The Association of Program Directors in Surgery was founded in 1977 with the purposes of:
- To provide a forum for the exchange of information and for discussion on a wide range of subjects related to post-graduate surgical education.
- To maintain high standards of surgical residency training by improving graduate surgical education and patient care.
- To provide advice, assistance, and support to program directors on matters pertaining to surgical education and to accreditation.
- To encourage research into all aspects of the education and training of surgeons and surgical subspecialties.
- To represent the interests of program directors in the education and training of high quality surgeons to other organizations, individuals and governmental agencies or regulatory bodies.