The Georgetown University has celebrated the naming of Kuwaiti surgeon Waddah Al-Refaie as the occupant of the prestigious John S. Dillon Chair in Surgical Oncology. Participating senior surgeons of Georgetown University concurred that the conferring Al-Refaie with John S. Dillon Chair in Surgical Oncology is well-deserved.

They lauded his great dedication to medical knowledge acquiring and spreading as well as his role in the advancement of surgical oncology researches.
This Chair is named after Dr. John Dillon who taught at the Georgetown University for decades and whose great style, dedication, commitment towards promoting knowledge and impressive behavior in dealing with all people are unforgettable, said Chief Medical Officer at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Stephen R.T. Evans.

These characteristics have been seen clearly in Dr. Al-Refaie and this was one of the major causes for supporting him, he said. For his part, President of the University of Georgetown John DeGioia spoke highly about Al-Refaie's dedication for scientific research and his close relations with his students and patients. He also highlighted the similarities between Al-Refaie and Dillon.

Lynt B. Johnson, Chairman of Department of Surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, unveiled that the hospital has been searching for years for a new dean to the surgical oncology department and an occupant for John S. Dillon Chair at the University. He added that there were two conditions for candidate to those posts: firstly to have a good achievement record in surgical oncology and secondly to be able to continue effective contributions.

A panel of the university's senior surgeons has picked up "the new star" of the oncology department Dr. Al-Refaie who managed to lead the center to be one of the best in treating cancer in the region, Johnson said. Meanwhile, President of Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) Hilal Al-Sayer, who is also one of the former instructors of Al-Refaie, stated that from the first time, he dealt with his compatriot in 1997, he recognized Al-Refaie's unique commitment, calmness and great care for his patients. Al-Sayer, former Kuwaiti health minister, described Al-Refaie as "A worthy ambassador for Kuwait." Meanwhile, Al-Refaie vowed that he and his team would continue their efforts to make the university's research center one of the most prestigious in the United States in surgical treatment of cancer.

He noted that he tries to publish his researches in specialized journals inside and outside the US for the benefit of all cancer patients around the world.
Al-Refaie expressed gratitude for His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's congratulatory cable after naming a occupant of the John S. Dillon Chair.

He was appreciative of all bodies and persons who contributed to his prominence in his career. Al-Refaie graduated from Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1997. In 2004, he was appointed a surgeon at the University of California, San Diego. In 2006, he studied surgical oncology at the cancer center at the University of Texas. Then he was appointed a researcher at the University of Minnesota. Two years and a half later he moved to Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC.

He is now the Division Chief of Surgery. His areas of interest include surgical oncology, GI cancers, gastric cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, soft tissue sarcoma, malignant melanoma, pancreatic cancer, geriatric surgical oncology and surgical outcomes research. 

He is an active member of following medical societies: Society of Surgical Oncology, Society of University Surgeons, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Association for Academic Surgeons, Western Surgical Association, American College of Surgeons - Fellow, American Pancreatic Association, The Society for Surgery of The Alimentary Tract and The Surgical Outcomes Club

Source: KUNA