In February, the Friends of the P.I. Nixon Medical Historical Library Lecture Series welcomed John Calhoon, MD, to speak on the history of heart surgery and his experiences as a congenital heart surgeon. Recounting his experiences a boy learning by his surgeon father’s side, Dr. Calhoon described how he is able to pass on the knowledge and wisdom gained from many of these formative experiences to his students and those who will become our future surgeons. After hearing a thorough review of the history of modern heart surgery and enjoying many humorous and touching stories from Dr. Calhoon’ s career, the lecture audience sat rapt with attention as he ended his presentation with a video of his ground-breaking operation on the heart of a 2-day-old infant.
Dr. Calhoon obtained his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas in 1981. He is board certified in Thoracic Surgery and Congenital Cardiac Surgery. He joined the group in 1989 and is professor and founding chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
His current interests include complex congenital heart surgery, heart and lung transplantation, complex adult cardiac surgery, the Ross procedure, less invasive cardiac surgery, and improving education and patient care. Nationally, he has served as President of the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association and Secretary of the Southern Thoracic Surgery Association.
He is currently president of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education, a member of the Joint Council on Thoracic Surgery Education Board, an at-large director of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and has served as chair of the American Board of Thoracic Surgeons. Locally, he has been chairman of the Dominion Country Club and president of the local American Heart Association affiliate. He is a founder and board member of HeartGift San Antonio, an organization that sponsors charitable lifesaving congenital heart repair for children around the world.
Next in the P.I. Nixon Medical Historical Library lecture series is Anti-Vax: 19th Century Insights into a Modern Healthcare Issue, Speaker: Jacob Canfield (School of Medicine) on Wednesday March 4th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the Howe Conference Room, 5th floor of Briscoe Library. Please register here.
