Two of them, in fact.

With the election of Fred Crawford, M.D., to serve as vice chairman of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS), he will become the first from MUSC to chair that board when he assumes leadership in 1999.

With the appointment of MUSC’s Carolyn Reed, M.D., to the ABTS’s board of directors, Reed will be that body’s first woman in its 50-year history.

And a rarity. It’s highly unusual for the ABTS to have two members of its board of directors from the same institution serving at the same time.

“It’s a big deal for one school,” Crawford said, commenting on Reed’s selection as the board’s first woman. “And it’s a reflection of the respect the rest of the country has for her and for thoracic surgery at MUSC.”

The ABTS is the national credentialing body for certification of thoracic surgeons.

“I think that the selection of Dr. Carolyn Reed as the first woman to serve on the American Board of Thoracic Surgery is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates progress on the part of the board and one that brings status and recognition to MUSC,” said vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, Layton McCurdy, M.D.

Recalling a segment on MUSC’s television documentary, Miracle Workers, McCurdy confirmed Reed’s dedication to her patients while maintaining the high standard of quality of her surgical work.

"As a member of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, she now takes on the responsibility of setting standards for thoracic surgeons throughout the United States. Based on her professional standards and skills, I predict that specialty will be in very good hands.”

Anticipating Crawford’s appointment as chairman of the ABTS Board of Directors once his term as vice chairman is served, McCurdy expressed confidence in the continued leadership of thoracic surgery in this country. “This university is very fortunate to have Fred Crawford here. He has played a crucial role as department chairman in establishing this school in the premier position we now enjoy.”

Only the most highly qualified thoracic surgeons in the United States are selected to serve on the ABTS Board of Directors. The board’s primary purpose and most essential function is to protect the public by establishing and maintaining high standards in thoracic surgery. To achieve these objectives, the board has established qualifications for examination and procedures for certification and recertification. Its requirements are reviewed regularly and modified as necessary. Board certification in a medical specialty is evidence that a physician’s qualifications for specialty practice are recognized by his or her peers.

Thoracic surgery encompasses the operative, perioperative, and surgical critical care of patients with acquired and congenital pathological conditions within the chest.