Dr.  J. Kyle Mathews among 1,640 Initiates from around the world who became Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) during the Convocation ceremony at the College’s 2014 annual Clinical Congress in San Francisco, Calif., last month. This year’s class of Initiates was among one of the largest ever admitted into the College.

Dr. Mathews received a medical doctorate in 1988 from The University of Texas San Antonio and is currently in private practice located in Plano. In 1992, Dr. Mathews attained his initial board certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in 2013 obtained his second board certification in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Mathews has a strong professional interest in minimally invasive treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and holds membership in other  professional societies, including the American Urogynecology Society, International Urogynecology Society, and the American Association of  Gynecologic Laparoscopist.

By meeting the College’s stringent membership requirements, Fellows of the College have earned the distinguished right to use the designation of “FACS” (Fellow, American College of Surgeons) after their names. An applicant for Fellowship must be a graduate of
an approved medical school; must have completed advanced training in one of the 14 surgical specialties recognized by the College; must possess certification by an American surgical specialty board or appropriate certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Canada; and must have been in practice for at least one year at the time of his or her appli-cation. Before admission into Fellowship, the surgeon must further demonstrate ethical fitness and professional proficiency, and his or her acceptance as a Fellow of the College must be approved by three-fourths of its Board of Regents.

The Convocation ceremony was the highlight of the five-day Congress at which initiation into ACS Fellowship took place. The Congress also featured reports on research-in-progress, postgraduate courses, panel discussions, symposia, and scientific and industrial exhibits. Total estimated attendance at the Congress was 13,082, including 8,924 physicians. Allied health professionals and members of the scientific and consumer media also attended the meeting.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of  surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 79,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit: www.facs.org.

| Category: Board Certified Urogynecologist, Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery & Urogynecology, Press, Surgeon |