UF surgeon elected to membership in American Board of Thoracic Surgery

Timothy C. Flynn, M.D., a professor of surgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine, recently was elected as a member of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

Flynn, who will serve a six-year term, will act as a liaison between the American Board of Surgery, of which he also is a member, and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Additionally, he will provide board members with perspectives on the general surgery training community and thoracic surgery training programs.

He also will help address current issues in the field, including length of training in general and in thoracic surgery, the declining interest in surgical specialties by U.S. medical students, and maintaining competence after certification. Also to be addressed are changes to the content of training, with a greater emphasis on reducing work hours and increasing the need to measure competency in communication skills and other areas.

Flynn, who is UF’s associate dean for graduate medical education, also is the UF department of surgery’s associate chairman and residency program director.

The American Board of Thoracic Surgery works to establish and maintain high standards in the field. It establishes qualifications for examination and procedures for certification and recertification.