Theodore R. Schrock, M.D., who had a storied career at UCSF, as a medical student, then a surgery resident, faculty member, Department of Surgery Chair and Chief Medical Officer for UCSF Medical Center, recently passed away at age 76.
Theodore (Ted) Schrock was born and raised in Berne, Indiana. He lettered in three sports during high school and was noted for scholarship. He attended Indiana University in Bloomington where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was named “Premed Student of the Year”. His A.B. degree with Highest Honors was obtained after the first year of medical school at UCSF, where, as a senior, Ted was President of the Student Body of the UCSF campus. He was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society, and upon graduation in 1964, received the Gold Headed Cane as the student who most exemplified the qualities of the true physician. He served as President of the Gold Headed Cane Society for 12 years.
Dr. Schrock entered residency in surgery at UCSF, spent two years as a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School, and completed residency in 1971. He was immediately recruited to the surgical faculty at UCSF, where he would spend his entire 33-year career in academic medicine. During this time, Dr. Schrock developed an international reputation for excellence in the surgical management of inflammatory bowel disease, serving as a guest lecturer and visiting professor around the globe. His academic milestones included nearly 200 articles, book chapters and abstracts, membership in sixteen professional societies, editorship of two journals: Perspectives in Colon and Rectal Surgery, and of Colon and Rectal Surgery Outlook, and several distinguished service awards.
In 1993, Dr. Schrock was appointed Interim Chair of UCSF Department of Surgery. In three short years, his effective leadership culminated in his permanent appointment as Chair of the Department in 1996. Two years later, he became Chief Medical Officer for UCSF Medical Center, remaining in that position until his retirement in 2004.
Early in his career, Dr. Schrock was a pioneer in the use of colonoscopy as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for diseases of the colon and rectum, gaining national and international renown for his work. He was a founding member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons and became its President in 1988. He was also a key figure in organizing the First World Congress of Surgical Endoscopy in Berlin in 1988, and was an invited participant to numerous world conferences and congresses on these subjects.
Dr. Schrock was also honored as the Gerald Marks Lecturer by the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons. He was the first surgeon to become President of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and was invited to deliver the Distinguished Lecture to the annual meeting of that society in 1993.
Among his numerous roles at UCSF Medical Center and UCSF School of Medicine, Dr. Schrock was Chair of the Credentials Committee, Vice-President of the Medical Staff, and President of the Medical Staff. He also served as President of the UCSF Howard C. Naffziger Surgical Society for its 1987-88 term.
After retirement, he and his wife bred Arabian horses in Montana, later moving to Scottsdale, Arizona where they lived at the time of Ted’s passing.
Celebration of Dr. Schrock’s Life
There will be a celebration of Theodore (Ted) Schrock’s life on October 2, 2016, details of which are available at the family posting on CaringBridge.org. Those wishing to attend should visit the family page (registration required).
Take a journey through the past decade of loupes ceremonies as seen through presentation booklets distributed to the audience at the historic Toland Hall. Each booklet includes a wealth of information about each recipient, honoree and faculty presenter.
Friday, May 13, 2016 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm One Market Restaurant 1 Market St. San Francisco, CA 94105 $100 per person
Postgraduate Course in Hernia Surgery Naffziger Surgical Society Day
Course Dates – Thursday, May 12, 2016 7:30 a.m. – Saturday May 14, 2016 12:00 p.m. Naffziger Day – Thursday, May 12, 2016 (includes business luncheon and annual meeting)
This years program, co-hosted by the UCSF Department of Surgery and the UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society, focuses on hernia surgery and complex abdominal wall reconstruction. The clinically oriented course represents an outstanding opportunity for the practicing surgeon to gain valuable knowledge and expertise from renowned experts in the fields of general surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, laparoscopic surgery, surgical nutrition and metabolism, reconstructive microsurgery, and complex abdominal wall reconstruction.
The practitioner will learn about the latest developments in the field including the latest evidenced-based studies and expert opinion consensus. The conference will also provide an invaluable social experience to network with colleagues. Attendance at the course is free to all Naffziger Society members.
Course Chairs
Hobart W. Harris, MD, MPH Professor and Chief, Division of General Surgery Vice-Chair, Department of Surgery J. Engelbert Dunphy Endowed Chair in Surgery Director, Infection, Injury & Immunity Lab
Laurence F. Yee, MD Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery, UCSF Director, Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery, California Pacific Medical Center President, UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society
Naffziger Invited Lecturer
Guilherme M. Campos, MD, FACS Division Chair and Professor of Surgery Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine, Program Director, Advanced GI Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship
Robert G. Martindale, MD, PhD Professor of Surgery Chief of Gastrointestinal and General Surgery Medical Director, Hospital Nutritional Service Oregon Health & Science University
The registration fee to attend the Postgraduate Course is waived for Naffziger Society Members. Attendance is free.
If you wish to obtain CME credits, you should pre-register by calling the UCSF CME office at (415) 475-5808. There is a $35.00 charge, payable at the time you call to register.
Those members not requiring CME credits do not need to pre-register
CME Credits
The University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine (UCSF) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
A representative of the UCSF CME Office will be at the conference with a sign-up sheet for members to attest their presence. Proof of CME credit can be obtained by visiting the UCSF CME Claiming Website and following the instructions there for claiming your credits. As noted above, there is a $35.00 charge, payable when you call the CME office to pre-register. CME credits are awarded based on one of the following course codes in the program:
P = Pain Credit
G = Geriatric Credit
T = Trauma Credit
Naffziger Business Lunch & Dinner Honoring Chief Residents
Naffziger Business Lunch – May 12, 2016 @ 12 noon – $50.00 per person Dinner Honoring Chief Residents – May 13, 2016 @ 6:30 p.m. – $100.00 per person
Online Payment: Please visit the Naffziger Society Website and click the Pay for Events button. (If you elect to bring a spouse or guest to the dinner, please add an additional $100.00). At checkout on the PayPal website, please indicate in the notes field the desired event(s) and number of people attending.
Pay by Check : Check should be made payable to the “UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society”. Please indicate the desired event(s) and number of people attending and mail to:
UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society 179 Canterbury Ave. Daly City, CA 94015
Pleaseregister for these events by April 25, 2016 as we must provide a headcount to the venue hosts.
Travel & Lodging
Marines’ Memorial Club and Hotel 609 Sutter Street San Francisco, CA 94102 Hotel Phone: 415-673-6672 Reservations: 800-562-7463 Ask for UCSF General Surgery to receive group rate. You can also email reservations@marineclub.com
Rates: $239 Cut-off Date: April 15, 2016 or until room block is filled
It is my distinct honor and privilege to serve as the 66th President of the UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society.
First, I want to take this opportunity to thank my predecessor, James Constant, MD, for his outstanding service as our immediate past President. Under his leadership, the Society implemented electronic billing for the membership, and spearheaded the effort to enhance the Naffziger Society website and modernize its internal operations. This built on the foundation laid by his predecessors, Carlos U. Corvera, M.D., A. Brent Eastman MD and James R. Macho, M.D.
Second, I want to expressly thank those members who supported the Society in 2015 through payment of their annual membership dues. Funds from dues are critical to supporting the mission of the Society including our educational symposiums, annual events and social functions. We truly value your loyalty and financial support.
In 2015, I am pleased to report that many members took advantage of our new electronic billing options, paying their dues by simply clicking a “Pay Now” button embedded in the email containing their e-invoice. Others used the PayPal buttons on our website to pay for events as well as membership dues. Many academic surgeons elected to pay their dues through institutional expense accounts. To make this process easier, we have posted our W-9 form online so academic assistants needing this information can easily access it.
In approximately a week, we will be sending out eInvoices to the membership for 2016 dues, and paper invoices to members without email addresses on file.
Upcoming Events
Annual Business Meeting and Dinner Honoring the Chief Residents
I would like to cordially invite you to attend our upcoming annual meeting, which will take place in San Francisco from May 12th – May 14th at the Marines’ Memorial Club & Hotel at the same time as the Postgraduate Course in Hernia Surgery.
Our business luncheon will take place on Thursday, May 12th from 12:00 – 1:00 pm on the 10th Floor of Marines’ Memorial in the Regimental Room. We are pleased to again welcome Nancy L. Ascher, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery, who will be giving her annual “State of the Department” address to the membership. The dinner honoring the Department’s graduating chief residentswill take place on Friday, May 13, 2016 from 7:00 – 9:30 pm at One Market Restaurant.
RSVP and Payment
To RSVP for these events, please email naffziger.society@gmail.com or use our Contact Form. You may also call the Society directly at (650) 992-1387. Please indicate how many people will be attending: 1) the business lunch and/or 2) the dinner honoring the Chief Residents.
Payment for the event may be made: 1) Via Paypal using the Pay for Events button on the Naffziger Society website 2) By mailing a check to: UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society, 179 Canterbury Ave., Daly City, CA 94015
Please register for these events by April 25, 2016 as we must provide a headcount to the venue hosts. For additional details, please visit the Naffziger Surgical Society Annual Meeting Page.
Postgraduate Course in Hernia Surgery
This three-day symposium commences on Thursday, May 12, 2015 at 7:30 a.m. and runs through Saturday, May 14, 2016, adjourning at 12:00 p.m. The Postgraduate Course in Hernia Surgery, co-chaired by Hobart W. Harris, MD, MPH, Professor and Chief of Division of General Surgery at UCSF and myself, features renowned experts in the fields of general, gastrointestinal, and laparoscopic surgery; surgical nutrition and metabolism; reconstructive microsurgery; and complex abdominal wall reconstruction. The program will explore the latest developments in the field including evidenced-based studies and emerging consensus of expert opinion. The conference will also provide an ideal networking forum where you can reconnect with other Naffziger members.
Among the roster of distinguished faculty are: the 2016 Naffziger Invited Lecturer,Guilherme M. Campos, MD, FACS(left), Division Chair and Professor of Surgery at VCU School of Medicine, Naffziger Visiting Professor,Carlos A. Pellegrini, MD, FACS, FRCSI (Hon.) *(right),*Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at University of Washington, and Postgraduate Course Keynote Speaker, Robert G. Martindale, MD, PhD, (shown at left below) Professor and Chief of Gastrointestinal and General Surgery, and Medical Director of the Hospital Nutritional Service Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
The three-day conference, with coverage of over fifty topics, is free to all Naffziger Society members through a special arrangement with the University of California, San Francisco. This program represents a tremendous value to our membership, one that would otherwise cost $750.00 to attend.
I want to extend a warm welcome to six new lifetime members from the class of 2015, all of whom have taken positions as clinical fellows: Jessica H. Beard, MD, MPH (UPenn), Jack W. Harbell, MD (UCSF), Sandhya B. Kumar, MD (UCSF), Lawrence B. Oresanya, MD (Temple Univ.), Amanda Sammann, MD, MPH (OHSU), and Cathy J. Tang, MD, MS (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles). Lifetime members are comprised of the graduating Chief Residents from the UCSF General Surgery Residency Program.
In addition, we recently inducted four new Associate Members: Ankit Sarin, MD, MHA, Matthew Y.C. Lin, MD, Catherine Juillard, MD, MPH, and Errol L. Bush, MD. Associate members are comprised of: 1) full-time faculty in the Department of Surgery who have had their appointment for at least three years, and 2) UCSF clinical fellows who have completed at least one-year of training.
Wen T. Shen, M.D. Nominated as Vice-President/President Elect
I am pleased to announce that the Executive Council has nominated Wen T. Shen, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery at UCSF, to be our 67th President. Upon confirmation in May, Dr. Shen will become Vice-President/President Elect, then assume the reigns of the presidency on July 1st. In addition to being an outstanding surgeon, resident mentor and dedicated physician-scientist, Dr. Shen has distinguished himself as a medical historian. The holder of a a masters’ degree in the History of Medicine, he has published articles on the 1942 Coconut Grove Fire in Boston and its impact on burn care, the history of adrenal incidentaloma, and many other thought-provoking topics.
Enhancements to Naffziger Society Website
Over the past three years, we have continued to improve the Naffziger Society website, adding features and discovering new ways for our members to connect with one another. I welcome you to visit the site and view the rich content and features it offers. Our searchable membership directory now includes an entry for each member that displays the year of graduation (for UCSF Chief Residents), the member’s area of practice(s), and a link to the member’s biography. Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to locate an online bio link for every member. To add or update your biography link, or to apprise us of any changes in your contact information, please use our member update form or email us at naffziger.society@gmail.com.
The Society also has a news feed on the website where we post news summaries and notable announcements about our membership. If you would like to suggest a news story or submit an announcement for the website, please use our online form or email the Society. We also recently launched a Naffziger Society Photos Page at Flickr that houses photos of Naffziger events. if you have photos you want us to upload to this page, please email the Society.
Celebration Honoring William P. Schecter, MD
Last December, the UCSF Department of Surgery honored our esteemed colleague, William P. Schechter, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Surgery at UCSF and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH). Dr. Schechter was honored for his illustrious career and myriad accomplishments during a luncheon and academic program at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center, and later at a dinner celebration at AT&T Park in San Francisco, one that included a fireworks display. UCSF has also established the “Trauma Resident of the Year” award in Dr. Schechter’s honor. To read more about the celebration, please view our website news summary.
In April, we will be emailing the membership a very special issue of the Naffziger Society Newsletter that will have a historical look-back at the Department’s Loupes ceremony over the past decade, featuring presentation booklets and a full list of honorees and faculty presenters. Stay tuned!
Ed Chen Pledges Gift for Purchase of Chief Resident Chairs for 2016
Edward P. Chen, MD, a member of the class of 2000, has magnanimously pledged the sum of $5,000.00 for the purchase of ALL Chief Resident Chairs for members of the 2016 graduating class. These chairs are a tangible tribute to the Chief Residents who have made the arduous, but rewarding journey through the UCSF General Surgery Residency Program. Soon after their official induction into the UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society, graduating residents are shipped their Chief Resident Chair.
In a recent letter, Ed told me:
“I am happy to contribute in anyway you need. I would be happy to fund ALL the chairs for the Chiefs or fund ALL the loupes for the second years to be honest. I’m being serious. Also happy to contribute to the general fund, but I know how much those loupes and the chairs meant to me so would be happy to do so.”
Ed also views the gift as a way to bridge the geographical distance between San Francisco, the hub of the UCSF General Surgery Residency Program, and Atlanta, GA, where Dr. Chen is Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine as well as Director of Thoracic Aortic Disease.
On a personal level, I found Ed’s gift so inspiring that I have decided to make a similar pledge for the purchase of ALL Chief Resident Chairs for the graduating class of 2017.
At last years’ business meeting, the general membership confirmed the nominations of Madhulika “Mika” Varma, M.D. and Rita Mukhtar, M.D. as members-at-large, and Jonathan Carter, M.D. as website liaison, to the Naffziger Society Executive Council. The Council also created two new positions and nominees for 2016: Naffziger historian”, Lawrence W. Way, M.D. and “Resident Liaison”, UCSF general surgery resident Bian Wu, M.D.
I am also pleased to report that Annette Bronstein has returned as our Executive Secretary, a position she previously held for over a quarter of a century. Annette is an event planner extraordinaire and has a deep and abiding affection for the membership. The Society has also appointed [Richard N. Barg, JD, MBA](http://top.ucsf.edu/meet-the-team/strategic-development/richard-n-barg,-jd,-mba.aspx) Director of Online Operations. Mr. Barg co-led the effort to develop the Naffziger website with the site’s designer [Colin Fahrion](http://www.pedsurg.ucsf.edu/about-us/staff/colin-fahrion.aspx), and deployed the Society’s new electronic billing system. Mr. Barg will now oversee all online and digital assets of the Society including its website and membership directory.
In Memoriam
Marjorie Stanley Albo – May 22, 1934 – June 25, 2015
It is with sadness that I report the passing of Marjorie Albo. Marjorie “Marge” was the beloved wife of the late Dr. Robert Albo, the well-known bay area surgeon and former team physician for the Oakland Raiders and Golden State Warriors for many years.
Final Words
I hope you will consider visiting San Francisco from May 12th – May 14th and join us for our Naffziger Society Annual Meeting and Postgraduate Course in Hernia Surgery co-hosted with the UCSF Department of Surgery. I believe you will find it an outstanding opportunity for professional development as well as an ideal way to reconnect with former mentors and colleagues.
I encourage your participation in the activities of the Society including playing a future role in leadership and governance. If you have ideas for advancing the Society’s mission, would like to nominate someone to our Executive Council, or want to offer input to improve the functioning of the Society, please email me at naffziger.society@gmail.com.
And, in closing, thank you again for giving me the opportunity to serve as President of this venerable society.
Dr. Schecter joined the UCSF faculty in 1980 as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery. He then served as the Chief of Surgery at the LBJ Tropical Medical Center, Pago Pago, American Samoa (1981-1983) and as a Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Natal, Durban, RSA (1983-1984). Dr. Schecter returned to UCSF in 1984 where he was appointed Chief of Surgery at the San Francisco General Hospital and Vice-Chair of Surgery at UCSF in 1993 serving that capacity until 2008.
The celebration began with a luncheon and scientific session at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center moderated by M. Margaret Knudson, M.D., Professor of Surgery in the UCSF Department of Surgery at Zuckerberg SFGH. This was followed by a dinner celebration at AT&T Park in San Francisco. In honor of Dr. Schecter’s dedication and service to SFGH, UCSF has established the “Trauma Resident of the Year” award.
Marjorie Stanley Albo of Piedmont, California passed away peacefully in Orinda, California with her family by her side. Marjorie “Marge” was the beloved wife of the late Dr. Robert Albo, well known bay area surgeon and former team physician of the Oakland Raiders and Golden State Warriors for many years.
The 28th Annual J. Engelbert Dunphy Resident Research Symposium was held on March 11, 2015 at Toland Hall. Jennifer Grandis, MD, Associate Vice Chancellor of Clinical and Translational Research, Director of Clincial and Translational Science Institute, and Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, gave the keynote presentation.
Among the winners was Bian Wu, M.D., the UCSF General Surgery Resident Liaison to the Naffziger Society and member of the executive council. Dr. Wu tied for the Best “Quick-Shot” Presentation.
Featured Image: Left to right: Bian Wu, Carlie Thompson, Peter Stock, Gavitt Woodard, Jennifer Grandis, Nancy Ascher, Jessica Cohan, Lily Cheng, Benjamin Howard
Laurence F. Yee, MD, FACS, FASCRS has been elected the 66th President of the UCSF Naffziger Surgical Society for the 2015-2016 term. Dr. Yee is a general and colorectal surgeon and Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at UCSF. He also serves as Director of the Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Program at CPMC. Dr. Yee is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and active in numerous professional societies .
Dr. Thomas Russell is that once in a lifetime person and personality.
The 1 in a billion person.
And it was my great luck to be associated with him.
It is virtually impossible properly thank Dr. Russell for all of the teaching and mentorship he has personally provided me and all the hundreds of UCSF medical students and surgical residents who have had the privilege of working with him.
You have had a career and family that every surgeon aspires for.
Dr. Russell served as a US Navy surgeon during Vietnam, finished as Chief Resident in surgery at UCSF under Dr. William Blaisdell and Dr. JE Dunphy, recruited to join Dr. Peter Volpe in practice of colon and rectal surgery in San Francisco at age 33, succeeded Dr. Carlton Mathewson as Chairman of Surgery at California Pacific Medical Center at age 37, and left his surgical practice in his absolute prime at age 59 as he was recruited to become the Executive Director of the American College of Surgeons in Chicago succeeding Dr. Samuel Wells.
But to me, even more important than what you accomplished as a surgeon, was how you treated all people, whether they were patients, students, nurses, doctors, or even complete strangers.
