The Southern Surgical Association History of Medicine Scholarship presentation: Dr. Charles Drew, a surgical pioneer.

When one considers the circumstances of his birth, the barriers that he had to overcome, and his abbreviated life span (<46 years), a strong case can be made that Charles Drew, MD, CM, MDSc, was one of the most accomplished surgeons of the 20th Century; yet many practitioners and instructors of the surgical sciences know little or nothing about him. There are others who have heard of him and still harbor popular misconceptions about the circumstances of his death that have been perpetuated by several media outlets. The Southern Surgical Association promotes a substantially more inclusive brand of surgical fellowship than it did during the lifetime of Dr. Drew. We believe that the membership would greatly appreciate knowing some of the details of Dr. Drew's life, particularly his major scientific contributions and his commitment to excellence in patient care, and in the training of young surgeons.