Published: April 12, 2008 01:16 am            

Local doctor inducted as Fellow in prestigious ACS

Dr. Robert Falconer was among 1,291 initiates from around the world who became Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) during convocation ceremonies at the college’s recent 93rd annual Clinical Congress in New Orleans.

Falconer received a medical doctorate degree in 1995 from the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland, and is currently practicing at Palestine Regional Medical Center in Palestine. Falconer attained board certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties in Surgery in 2005.

By meeting the college’s stringent membership requirements, Fellows of the college have earned the distinguished right to use the designation of “F.A.C.S.” (Fellow, American College of Surgeons) after their names.

An applicant for Fellowship must be a graduate of an approved medical school; must have completed advanced training in one of the 14 surgical specialties recognized by the college; possess certification by an American surgical specialty board or appropriate certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; and must have been in practice in the same geographic location for at least one year at the time of his application.

Before admission into Fellowship, the surgeon must further demonstrate ethical fitness and professional proficiency, and his or her acceptance as a Fellow of the College must be approved by three-fourths of its Board of Regents.

The convocation ceremony was a highlight of the five-day meeting, which also featured reports on research in progress, postgraduate courses, panel discussions, symposia and scientific and industrial exhibits.

Total estimated attendance at the Congress was 11,266, including approximately 6,577 physicians. Allied health professionals and members of the scientific and consumer medial also attended the meeting.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.