Robert Goldwyn
Encyclopedia
Robert Malcolm Goldwyn born in Worcester, Massachusetts
, was an author
, activist, Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School
, and Chief of Plastic Surgery
at the Beth Israel Hospital
from 1972 to 1996. He was the editor-in-chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for 25 years.
from Harvard Medical School
. During his internship and residency (1956—1961) at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital
in Boston
, Massachusetts he was also the Harvey Cushing Fellow in Surgery. His training in plastic surgery was at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 1961 to 1963.
in Lambaréné
, Gabon
for two months. In 1972, he established The National Archives of Plastic Surgery in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
.
He was a founding member of Physicians for Social Responsibility
and wrote articles on world peace, opposition to chemical and biological warfare, and medical ethics.
said, ‘I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either.’
Goldwyn was a Visiting Professor to more than 70 institutions, universities, and hospitals in the United States and abroad and was an honorary member of more than a dozen national and international societies of plastic surgery. He was President of the 1994 Meeting of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons in St. Louis, Missouri. He was honored by France, Germany, and Italy with their highest medals for his work in plastic and reconstructive surgery . In Berlin, at the 2007 International Confederation for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, he presented the inaugural "Ulrich Hinderer Memorial Lecture". His other awards include the 2005 Honorary Kazanjian Lectureship, 1991 Clinician of the Year of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, the 2004 American Association of Plastic Surgeons Honorary Award, and the Presidential Citation of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.
Special Recognition Award during the Plastic Surgery 2004 opening ceremonies in Philadelphia. The Journal's circulation, which was 5,100 when Goldwyn took over in 1980, by 2004 had achieved the number one peer-reviewed impact factor
among all plastic surgery journals worldwide.
His final book, Retired not dead: thoughts plastic surgical and otherwise, was published in 2008.
on March 23, 2010 after a 16-year battle with prostate cancer
.
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, was an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, activist, Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, and Chief of Plastic Surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
at the Beth Israel Hospital
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts is a major flagship teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. It was formed out of the 1996 merger of Beth Israel Hospital and New England Deaconess Hospital...
from 1972 to 1996. He was the editor-in-chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for 25 years.
Medical education
Goldwyn graduated with a M.D.Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
. During his internship and residency (1956—1961) at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts. It is directly adjacent to Harvard Medical School of which it is the second largest teaching affiliate with 793 beds...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts he was also the Harvey Cushing Fellow in Surgery. His training in plastic surgery was at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 1961 to 1963.
Activism and Preservation
In 1960, he worked with Dr. Albert SchweitzerAlbert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire...
in Lambaréné
Lambaréné
Lambaréné is the capital of the political district Moyen-Ogooué in Gabon. The city counts 24,000 inhabitants and is located 75 kilometres south of the equator....
, Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
for two months. In 1972, he established The National Archives of Plastic Surgery in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
Boston Medical Library
The Boston Medical Library of Boston, Massachusetts, which evolved into the "largest academic medical library in the world," was originally organized to alleviate the problem that had emerged due to the scattered distribution of medical texts throughout the city.-Early History:In 1875, the Society...
.
He was a founding member of Physicians for Social Responsibility
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Physicians for Social Responsibility is the largest physician-led organization in the USA working to protect the public from the what they consider threats of nuclear proliferation, climate change, and environmental toxins...
and wrote articles on world peace, opposition to chemical and biological warfare, and medical ethics.
Awards and Honors
When the New England Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons established the Robert M. Goldwyn Lifetime Achievement Award and made Goldwyn its first recipient, he stated, “I do not really deserve this. But as Jack BennyJack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
said, ‘I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either.’
Goldwyn was a Visiting Professor to more than 70 institutions, universities, and hospitals in the United States and abroad and was an honorary member of more than a dozen national and international societies of plastic surgery. He was President of the 1994 Meeting of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons in St. Louis, Missouri. He was honored by France, Germany, and Italy with their highest medals for his work in plastic and reconstructive surgery . In Berlin, at the 2007 International Confederation for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, he presented the inaugural "Ulrich Hinderer Memorial Lecture". His other awards include the 2005 Honorary Kazanjian Lectureship, 1991 Clinician of the Year of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, the 2004 American Association of Plastic Surgeons Honorary Award, and the Presidential Citation of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.
Authorship
As a writer, he authored or co-authored more than 350 articles, more than 50 chapters, and edited books including The Unfavorable Result in Plastic Surgery: Avoidance and Treatment, Reconstructive Surgery of the Breast, Long-Term Results in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Reduction Mammaplasty, The Patient and the Plastic Surgeon, The Operative Note, The Physician Traveler (18 volumes), and an autobiography, Beyond Appearance: Reflections of a Plastic Surgeon.Retirement
Marking his retirement in 2004 as editor-in-chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Goldwyn was presented the American Society of Plastic SurgeonsAmerican Society of Plastic Surgeons
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world. Founded in 1931, the society is composed of surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada who perform Plastic and...
Special Recognition Award during the Plastic Surgery 2004 opening ceremonies in Philadelphia. The Journal's circulation, which was 5,100 when Goldwyn took over in 1980, by 2004 had achieved the number one peer-reviewed impact factor
Impact factor
The impact factor, often abbreviated IF, is a measure reflecting the average number of citations to articles published in science and social science journals. It is frequently used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field, with journals with higher impact factors deemed...
among all plastic surgery journals worldwide.
His final book, Retired not dead: thoughts plastic surgical and otherwise, was published in 2008.
Death
At the age of 79, he died in his home in Brookline, MassachusettsBrookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
on March 23, 2010 after a 16-year battle with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
.