The head of the department of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof. Francis Smit, has become only the third person from sub-Saharan Africa to be elected as a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS).
The AATS is an international academic organisation founded more than a century ago by the earliest pioneers in the field of thoracic surgery, to which members are elected according to merit. Membership requires sponsorship and references from senior and active members, followed by an extensive vetting process.
The association has more than 1 400 active members from 41 countries. Only 30 to 40 new members are accepted annually, of which ten to 15 reside outside America and Canada.
