Schwartz Memorial Lecture
"Are We Training a Surgical Workforce to Meet America's Needs?"
Dr. J. David Richardson is a professor of surgery and vice-chair of the Hiram C. Polk, Jr., MD Department of Surgery at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He recently completed a term as the 2015-16 President of the American College of Surgeons.
He is currently the editor of peer-reviewed research journal, The American Surgeon, and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons and with the International Scholarly Research Network.
He earned his medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1970. Following an internship year at UK Medical Center, Dr. Richardson went on to complete general surgery and thoracic surgery residencies at the University of Texas Medical School in San Antonio. He returned to practice and teach in the Department of Surgery at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1976. He served as division chief of General Surgery from 1983 through 2001 and continues as Vice-Chair for Education and Faculty Affairs, a position he has held for over 30 years.
During his professional tenure at Louisville, Dr. Richardson completed a fellowship in Trauma and Critical Care in 2000. In addition to his responsibilities as Chief of Surgery Service at the University of Louisville Medical Center, he is also Director of Emergency Surgical Services.
He is a prolific author and researcher with well over 350 published articles in a broad range of peer-reviewed surgical and medical journals. He is also a staunch advocate for the medical and surgical needs of America's underserved rural and urban populations
Dr. Richardson's subject as the guest lecturer for the 2017 Richard W. Schwartz Memorial Lecture will address the growing shortage of surgeons across specialties to meet the needs of the American population, particularly the rural population, in the very near future.