Citation for José Manuel Fábrega Sosa, MD, FACS, FSSO, APMC

José Manuel Fábrega Sosa, MD, FACS, FSSO, APMC, Panama City, Republic of Panama, professor of surgery, University of Panama, is the first president and founder of the Panamanian Association of Oncological Surgery (Asociación Panameña de Cirugía Oncológica), created to regulate and organize cancer treatment. He is a medical pioneer, introducing surgical techniques and educational processes to the Republic of Panama. He founded the surgical intensive care unit at the Social Security Hospital, the largest hospital in Panama.

Professor Fábrega is credited as being among the first to introduce the use of extracorporeal limb perfusion in the treatment of cancer (mostly sarcomas and melanomas) as well as infusional limb chemotherapy. He introduced the concept of resident rotations and a formal residency education system in Panama.

From 1995 to 1999, Professor Fábrega was appointed as the private physician to the president of Panama and as advisor to the presidency in health matters. He has served as chairman of a number of committees, organizing a variety of clinical congresses and medical meetings.

Distinctions conferred to Professor Fábrega include a resolution approved by the Senate of the Republic of Panama naming him Meritorious Citizen of the Republic, and the president of the Republic of Panama bestowed him with the country’s highest civil medal, the Order of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa.