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Crawford to head thoracic surgery association Public acknowledgment tops the list of what Department of Surgery Chairman Fred Crawford Jr., M.D., would wish for MUSC.  It is Crawford’s hope that his recent appointment as vice president and president elect of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) will help make that wish reality.  The position places him in line to assume the AATS presidency in one year. “I would love to have MUSC get the recognition it deserves. Nationally, people know about MUSC.  I would love it to get the recognition it deserves locally.” He admitted that actually his AATS appointment gathers more national attention among cardiothoracic surgeons around the world than it does in the Lowcountry where few outside his own department can assess the significance of the honor.  “To be honest, I wonder what I’m doing on this list,” Crawford said.  Holding a list of past AATS presidents, he began reading the names of cardiothoracic surgery’s “giants.” (To be honest, the only name on the list that stood out in this reporter’s recollection was “DeBakey.” And that's part of MUSC's challenge. The “giants” who entertain us, we recognize—not the “giants” who save our lives and restore our health.) Crawford tracks his original interest in medicine back to his years growing up in a rural South Carolina community.  He recalls the example set by the family doctor there; how he helped people; and the esteem the community held for him.  His parents, both teachers, gave him a respect for education and an admiration for the legacy a teacher passes on to students. “I remember the satisfaction they got from educating a large number of students in that part of rural South Carolina and from those who came back to visit years later. “I really don’t think I’m that good at teaching.  I have put together a good program to train surgeons, but there are many around here who are better teachers than I am.”  It was early-on at the Duke University School of Medicine that Crawford took aim at what would ultimately become his life’s pursuit.  “After a week in the cardiac surgery research lab as a medical student, I knew I wanted to be a surgeon. After two weeks I knew I wanted to be a heart surgeon, and by the third week, I had decided on academic heart surgery.” While serving his residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Duke for which he was one of two picked from a field of 18 applicants, he noticed a “steady stream” of patients coming from South Carolina to Duke University Medical Center for their health care. “When I came back to South Carolina (to MUSC) in 1979, it became my goal to develop a full-service heart surgery program here so people would not have to go out of state, and now we have a world-class program.” “I truly love to operate,” Crawford said.  “I think of my patients as individuals, not just cases.  Every person I operate on deserves the best I have to offer.” It is this approach to all aspects of his career that is probably responsible for his election to the highest office a thoracic surgeon can achieve. The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) was founded in 1917 by representatives from the specialties of anatomy, physiology, pathology, internal medicine, surgery, roentgenology, broncho and esophagoscopy and anesthesia to foster the evolution of an interest in surgery of the thorax.  Since that date, the AATS has continually encouraged and stimulated education and investigation in the areas of intrathoracic physiology, pathology and therapy.  Originally created by an august group of 20 of the last century’s earliest pioneers in the field of thoracic surgery, the AATS has now grown to an international organization of 1143 whose members consist of the world's foremost cardiothoracic surgeons representing 34 countries throughout the world.  The AATS is a major financial supporter of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education, which offers a number of research and education awards to cardiothoracic surgeons.  Other activities include support of the Evarts A. Graham Memorial Traveling Fellowship which provides the opportunity for a non U.S. trained thoracic surgeon to spend one year in the United States.  Many of the recipients have gone on to become leaders in thoracic surgery in their native country and the world. The AATS supports numerous two-year research scholarships for promising young cardiothoracic surgical residents who plan a career in academic surgery. Other activities include the annual meeting held each spring and attended by more than 2,500 cardiothoracic surgeons around the world. Candidates seeking membership in the AATS must demonstrate a proven track record of distinction in the cardiothoracic field or have made a meritorious contribution to knowledge pertaining to cardiothoracic disease or its surgical treatment.  During the past 82 years, the mission of the AATS has remained the same: To promote and foster education and research in the field of cardiothoracic surgery.