Abhijit S. Pathak, MD ’91, MSE, FACS, FCCM Named Interim Chair of the Department of Surgery

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Dear Faculty, Staff and Students:

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Abhijit S. Pathak, MD ’91, MSE, FACS, FCCM, as the Interim Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine and Temple Health. We extend our gratitude to Thomas Santora, MD, FACS, for his leadership as interim chair. Dr. Santora will be retiring on June 30, 2024, after 20 years of dedicated service at the School of Medicine and Temple University Hospital (TUH). He was a critical member of the surgery department at TUH, serving as a trauma surgeon, acute care surgeon, surgical intensivist and general surgeon. He also held several leadership roles, including Vice Chairman for Clinical Affairs, Chair of the Appointments and Promotions Committee, and Vice Chairman for Informatics and Business Development. Passionate about educating the next generation of surgeons, Dr. Santora provided clinical and didactic instruction to students, residents and fellows.

Dr. Pathak has been a distinguished educational and clinical leader at Temple for over two decades. A true embodiment of "Temple-made" excellence, he graduated from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine in 1991, completed his General Surgery Residency, and served as a Research Fellow in the Division of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery at Temple. He furthered his training with a Fellowship in Trauma/Surgical Critical Care at the University of Maryland, followed by an academic post at Yale University School of Medicine before returning to Temple in 1999.

At Temple, Dr. Pathak has served as Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Program Director of Temple’s Surgical Critical Care Fellowship. He chairs the Critical Care Committee and Organ Donation Council and directs the Advanced Trauma Life Support Course. In 2022, he was honored with the school’s Honored Professor Award for his outstanding teaching.

Dr. Pathak is a Diplomate of both the American Board of Surgery and the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is a fellow of several societies, including the American College of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Surgeons, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Academy of Surgery. His scholarly work is widely published, and he has authored numerous chapters in surgical textbooks.

As Interim Chair of the Department of Surgery, Dr. Pathak will guide the faculty, non-faculty physicians, trainees, and staff in delivering exceptional patient care, and advancing research through collaboration with basic science and translational medicine researchers and other clinical programs across Temple.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Pathak on his new role and in supporting him during this transition period.

Sincerely,