Washington, DC, (October 30, 2023) — The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) announces Sherard A. Tatum, MD, a New York-based international facial plastic and reconstructive surgery leader, as President of the organization.
With an impressive background and tireless dedication to the field, Dr. Tatum formally assumed the role of AAFPRS President during the AAFPRS Annual Business Meeting which concluded this past weekend in Las Vegas. He will serve as president during the 2023-2024 term year.
The AAFPRS is the world’s largest specialty association for facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. The organization seeks to educate medical professionals, government and the general public about facial plastic surgery as a specialty that requires intensive training and competence, embodies high ethical standards, artistic ideals, commitment to humanitarian service and a desire to enhance the quality of human life.
“It is a true privilege to have been elected to serve as AAFPRS president this year,” shares Dr. Tatum. “My goals include carrying on the legacy of providing medical professionals with the high-quality education this organization is known for; collaborating with our global members to spotlight the innovation in our field; and, of course, advancing our many humanitarian efforts. My recent experience in Ukraine with our AAFPRS Foundation FACE TO FACE program has underscored the importance of using our platform to help address the human suffering in this world with kindness and generosity—and I look forward to working with our exceptional members to do exactly that. This is going to be a big year for the AAFPRS.”
Dr. Tatum earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida and completed postgraduate training in general surgery and otolaryngology at Eastern Virginia Medical School; craniomaxillofacial surgery at University of Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at University of California—Davis Medical Center. For the last 30 years, he has been a Professor of Otolaryngology and Pediatrics at SUNY Upstate–Syracuse—and he is also in key leadership roles at his institution, including the Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Medical Director of the Cleft and Craniofacial Center; co-director of the Craniomaxillofacial Surgery fellowship; and a scientific reviewer for the Institutional Review Board.
Dr. Tatum has served on numerous committees, including the Cancer and Trauma Committees and the Medical Student Advisor Program, and has sat on the boards of AAFPRS, ABFPRS, JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, Current Opinion in Otolaryngology, and Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics. He has given over 250 presentations, many international, and co-authored and edited over 200 publications. Through the years, Dr. Tatum has been included on many top doctor lists, including Best Doctors in America, America’s Best Physicians, and America’s Top Plastic Surgeons, among others.
Outgoing AAFPRS president Theda Kontis, MD, warmly welcomes Dr. Tatum to the position sharing, “In addition to Dr. Tatum’s truly extensive knowledge of the more general areas of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, his unparalleled expertise in some of the more niche areas of the field will allow us to advance the facial plastic surgery brand in ways we never thought possible. We are thrilled to welcome him to the AAFPRS and very much looking forward to watching our valued members thrive under his leadership. Congratulations, and welcome.”
“Dr. Tatum brings tremendous amounts of clinical, surgical and leadership expertise within our diverse specialty, which will be of enormous value to our Board and our membership as we look to further advance the vital mission of the AAFPRS,” asserts AAFPRS executive vice president & CEO, Steve Jurich. “He is a firm believer that our diversity and passion do make us stronger together—and through his innate, respectful and genuine approach to engaging others, Dr. Tatum will absolutely be instrumental in leading the AAFPRS towards enhanced collaborations within our Academy, and throughout our specialty and organized medicine!”
ABOUT THE AAFPRS:
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is the world’s largest specialty association for facial plastic surgery. It represents more than 2,500 facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons who perform plastic surgery of the face, head, and neck, and the majority of rhinoplasties, throughout the world. www.AAFPRS.org