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Visiting Professor of Surgery 2016 
Michael G. Sarr, MD

Visiting Professor of Surgery 2016 - Michael G. Sarr MDDr. Michael G. Sarr is our fifth nationally recognized Visiting Professor of Surgery. Surgical Academic Week was March 7-11, 2016. 

Dr. Sarr follows four previous Visiting Professors:  Dr. John L. Cameron (Johns Hopkins) 2012, Dr. Hiram C. Polk, Jr. (University of Louisville) 2013, Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag (UC Davis School of Medicine) 2014 and Keith D. Lillemoe (Massachusetts General Hospital) 2015.       

Dr. Sarr received his undergraduate training at Colgate University and his MD from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, finishing in 1976. He completed an NIH research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic for two years and a further postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital before joining the staff at the Mayo Clinic in 1985.

Dr. Sarr had a research laboratory funded by the NIH for 27 years with numerous basic science publications on gastrointestinal motility and intestinal absorption. He is one of the two editors-in-chief of the journal SURGERY and serves on the editorial boards of several other surgical journals. He is a director of the American Board of Surgery and is a member of numerous national and international surgical societies, having held leadership positions in the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Society of Clinical Surgery, Minnesota Surgical Society, and the International Society of Surgery. His clinical interests include bariatric surgery, abdominal wall hernias, and pancreatic surgery.

On Thursday, March 10 Dr. Sarr spoke on  “A French Canadian Fur Trapper, Mackinac Island, An Errant Musket Shot and Your Stomach!” recounting the epic tale of how a bullet hole of the stomach revolutionized medicine. 

The Visiting Professor of Surgery program provides expert educational seminars for practicing Santa Barbara surgeons and physicians. More importantly, it allows surgical residents in training at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital the chance to interact daily with the icons, leaders and outstanding teachers of the art of surgery. 

This unique educational program advances the level of surgical care available in our community, and is made possible by generous support from our Title Sponsor, Cottage Health, and grateful patients, medical groups, individual community surgeons and physicians, and corporate donors. 

“The Visiting Professor of Surgery program has been a tremendous success. We have been fortunate to have had outstanding surgeons, all leaders in their field. The program benefits the surgical residents, surgical staff and patients. The lecture for the public and donors has also been well received. The value to our community, to Cottage Health, and to Sansum Clinic is priceless. Thanks to Dr. Ron Latimer, this program will continue to be a success.” James T. Dunn, MD, FACS, Sansum Clinic Department of Surgery.

If you would like to learn more about our Visiting Professor of Surgery Education Program or discuss how you can help to suppport the good health of our community, please contact Dru A. Hartley, Director of Philanthropy at (805) 681-7726 or dhartley@sansumclinic.org