News at ABWE
Dr. Cropsey Receives a Distinct Honor
Dr. Robert and
Shirley Cropsey
On Friday, January 19, Dr. Bob Cropsey will be sworn in as a Fellow in the West African College of Surgeons (WACS).
Only outstanding surgeons are elected to become a fellow of some college of surgery, which is the case of Dr. Bob Cropsey. He has a surgeon's education, professional qualifications, surgical competence, ethical conduct, and has passed a rigorous evaluation that is consistent with the high standards demanded by WACS.
Dr. Cropsey was an instructor in general surgery at the University of Michigan before he and his wife, Shirley, went to Togo as missionaries with ABWE. For eighteen years, he served at Karolyn Kempton Memorial Christian Hospital. While Shirley was on medical leave, he served as the International Director of Medical Enlistment and Training for ABWE, and continued his general surgical practice in Michigan. Currently, he works part-time assisting in surgery, leading short-term medical teams, and filling in during times of need at Karolyn Kempton Memorial Christian Hospital. He is already a Fellow of American College of Surgeons, Fellow of International College of Surgeons, and Fellow of Collar Surgical Society.
Dr. Cropsey’s work is widely known in West Africa. Dr. Bruce Steffes, who often works with ABWE in Togo, and Dr. David Thompson, the originator of the Pan African Academy of Surgeons from Gabon, are also to be sworn in with Dr. Cropsey at the WACS meeting in Dakar, January 14–19, 2007. These men are good friends and continue to work together on many projects affecting medical practice in West Africa.
About the West African College of Surgeons
The first Council Meeting of the then Association of Surgeons of West Africa was held in Nigeria in 1960. In 1969, the Association's objective of promoting post-graduate education and training in surgery led to the establishment in of the West African College of Surgeons. In January 1975, the College was by resolution inaugurated as a constituent College of the West African Postgraduate Medical College, a specialized agency of the West African Health Community. The Diplomas of the College are recognized in the participating countries and guarantied by the signatories of the West African Health Community Treaty.