Scientists in Surgery
Approximately 15% of our surgical faculty are individuals who are non-MDs and work
as full time scientists. These individuals are significant contributors to the research
effort of our Department. This section will endeavour to profile excellence in research
among the scientists in our Department.
MANUEL GOMEZ
Manuel Gomez
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Dr. Manuel Gomez is the unsung hero of our Burn Unit. It is difficult to put in
words all of the duties, responsibilities, and positions held by Manuel. His involvement
in our Burn Centre has allowed us to attain National and International recognition.
A general surgeon who trained in Columbia, he left his home to travel to Toronto
to make a better life for his family. In addition to holding specialty training
in General Surgery, Manuel obtained a Master of Science Degree at the University
of Toronto, a Certificate in Community Health, and he is an accredited Tissue Bank
Specialist. He is involved at many levels with the various professional burn associations
including the Canadian Special Interest Group, the American Burn Association as
well as the International Society for Burn Injuries.
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Dr. Gomez worked as a Clinical Fellow in the Ross Tilley Burn Centre when the clinical
care was provided at the Wellesley Hospital. He switched his career to become a
fulltime Research Associate at the Burn Unit following his clinical fellowship.
Since then he has spent all his time completing studies and publishing manuscripts
so that our burn centre is recognized internationally. His appointment to the Department
of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in 2004 represented an achievement which resulted
from all the work that Dr. Gomez has been involved in for the burn centre. There
are multiple areas within the Critical Care/Trauma Program that Dr. Gomez interfaces
with currently. He has more than 60 peer reviewed publications and hundreds of abstracts
presented at international meetings. As part of his work and his role in the Division
of Plastic Surgery and the Department of Surgery he is always the person to 'show
up' and support other members of the Department. When Manuel was first introduced
to the world of burn care, we would travel to meetings together and I would introduce
him to others. The tables have now turned - when I attend meetings with Manuel,
he is now introducing me to many of the people he works with. The dedication and
commitment that Dr. Gomez brings to his job has led to his becoming a mentor and
role model for many that have traveled through the Burn Unit.
It is a pleasure to highlight some of the accomplishments of one of the outstanding
members of our Department in our newsletter.
Joel Fish
Division of Plastic Surgery
Medical Director, Ross Tilley Burn Centre
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