Two Shannon Clinic Physicians Receive Fellowship Status In Their Respective Fields

SAN ANGELO, TX — Dr. Benton Brown, general surgeon at Shannon Clinic, was among 1,993 Initiates from around the world who became Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) during the Convocation ceremony at the College’s Clinical Congress 2019 in San Francisco, Calif.

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 certification. 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 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.

Jason Laurence Pizzola, MD, FAAFP, a family physician practicing in the Shannon Access Clinic, has achieved the Degree of Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the national medical association representing nearly 134,600 family physicians, residents and medical students.

Established in 1971, the AAFP Degree of Fellow recognizes family physicians who have distinguished themselves through service to family medicine and ongoing professional development. AAFP Fellowship entitles the physician to use the honorary designation, “Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians,” or “F.A.A.F.P.”

Criteria for receiving the AAFP Degree of Fellow consist of a minimum of six years of membership in the organization, extensive continuing medical education, participation in public service programs outside medical practice, conducting original research and serving as a teacher in family medicine.

The AAFP was the first national medical specialty organization to require its members to complete a minimum of 150 hours of accredited continuing medical education every three years. It is the only medical specialty society devoted solely to primary care.