NEWLY ELECTED FELLOW OF
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS

A surgeon who hailed from Pandan, Antique, Philippines was recently elected as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. His name is Dr. Robert Peter Dioso Alojipan who works at the Makati Medical Center as Head of the Out Patient Department-Charity. He is the founding Head of this Department.

American College of Surgeons is the highest governing body of surgeons in the world. To become a Fellow entails a lot of hardwork and efforts. It is very important that you have good academic records and credentials. You need to be in the teaching profession at the College of Medicine. Most members of American College of Surgeons are in the teaching profession. Dr. Alojipan is not at all in the teaching profession but because of his exemplary achievements he got elected as a Fellow. The Chairman of the Surgery Department of the Hospitals all over the world is most of the time required to be a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Once you attach the word FACS after a doctor's name, it signifies reliability and excellence in one's profession. He must be reliable, proven and tested, highly recommendable, someone who passed the rigid and systematic requirement of a prestigious and respected association of international surgeons. He must be a dedicated person who has served his community so well, who swore to adhere to the highest code of ethics of surgery. An honest person whom you can trust your life. That is the meaning, once a surgeon has a title of FACS. Among surgeons, once you have this title, they would immediately salute you with all the respect particularly the younger ones. They know that it is very difficult to get this title.

Dr. Alojipan, together with the other five Filipinos who got elected, will be inducted like a "Knight", chivalrous, respectful and humble, on October 26, 2000 in Chicago. Among Asian Countries, Philippines is one of those countries, which has the highest number of Fellows at the American College of Surgeons, numbering to about 150 Fellows. In Singapore, for example, there were only about 4 Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. That is why, every Surgeon's Ultimate Dream all over the world is to become a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

- By Sofie Estolloso Hofmann, Switzerland

September 01, 2000

Volume 1, Issue 2