First female chief of vascular surgery takes helm
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 8, 1998 9:00 p.m.
Friday, October 9, 1998
First female chief of vascular surgery takes helm
PROFILE: Freischlag
directs disease center, operates, does research
By Teresa Jun
Daily Bruin Contributor
UCLA has witnessed another first in its annals of medical
history.
Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag became the first female chief of
vascular surgery at UCLA – and one of the first in the nation –
when she was appointed to the position last year at the UCLA School
of Medicine.
Because there are few females among the high ranks of the
medical profession, Freischlag’s appointment is a significant one,
but not a surprise to her colleagues.
"I feel extremely proud of her," said Dr. Ronald Busuttil, chief
of the division of liver and pancreas transplantation at UCLA.
"It feels good that an individual like her, who has done so
much, has been duly recognized," said Busuttil, who worked closely
with Freischlag during her residency at UCLA in 1980.
As the new chief of vascular surgery, Freischlag is responsible
not only for coordinating educational programs and conducting
research, but also for coordinating patient care and performing
operations at the UCLA Medical Center as well as at other local
hospitals.
Freischlag also directs the Gonda-Goldschmeid Vascular Disease
Center (Gonda Center) as part of her new responsibilities as chief
of vascular surgery.
"There are new doctors, and it’s totally revitalized," she said
of the recently revamped Gonda Center, which was originally
established in the Medical Plaza in 1996.
This clinic provides a variety of specialists all in one
location, so "patients won’t have to travel around to see every
kind of specialist" for their condition, Freischlag said.
While Freischlag has held this position for the past six months,
she said her new responsibilities have so far proved to be
"exciting and a challenge."
"Its more work than I thought," she said. "But this is sort of
what I’ve always wanted to do."
Her post at the Gonda Center has kept her busy "bringing a new
discipline of doctors into the clinic" and constantly "assessing
how to better serve the patients (through the multidisciplinary
approach)," Freischlag said.
Freischlag’s new role at UCLA is not her first professional
experience on the campus.
In 1987 she completed her residency and fellowship at the UCLA
School of Medicine before she began practicing at the Medical
College of Wisconsin, where she served as chief of surgery.
When Freischlag was appointed to the position, she was very
excited.
"I didn’t think I would ever come back (to UCLA)," she said.
But members of the selection committee were hoping she
would.
"We knew her from previous experiences," said Dr. E. Carmack
Holmes, chair of the department of surgery at the UCLA School of
Medicine, referring to her early training at UCLA.
"We knew she was extremely gifted and talented, the kind of
person we wanted. She has tremendous administrative skills, and
she’s eminently qualified," said Holmes, who was one of five
faculty members on the selection committee.
"If she would not have become chief (of vascular surgery) at
UCLA, she would have become chief somewhere else," he said.
Last year, Dr. Wesley Moore stepped down from his post as chief
of vascular surgery after having served for 18 years.
"I’m very proud that my successor was one of my trainees," Moore
said.
The eight-month selection process to fill Moore’s position was a
rigorous one. A pool of almost 30 initial applicants was narrowed
to about five finalists. The decision was based on qualifications
such as research contribution, administrative and leadership
skills, and a strong reputation in vascular surgery.
"(Freischlag’s) appointment was an excellent one both for the
division of vascular surgery and the entire medical enterprise,"
Busuttil said.
"With her charisma and her leadership, the Gonda Center and the
entire institute of vascular surgery should flourish," he said.
Freischlag brings to UCLA her expertise in a specific area of
research. Her research focus is on injuries affecting the lining of
the blood vessels, also known as endothelial injuries.
As for the outlook of women in the medical profession,
Freischlag remains hopeful.
"There certainly aren’t that many women (in the medical field),"
Freischlag noted, adding that although medical schools have a 30 to
40 percent female student body, there are not many women yet in
surgery.
And in vascular surgery, the numbers are even smaller, she
added.
As a member of both the Association of Women Surgeons and the
American Medical Women’s Association, Freischlag teaches and
mentors female medical students across the country.
And as one of the nation’s first female vascular surgical
chiefs, Freischlag is optimistic about what lies ahead in the
future.
"Women do things differently," she said, referring to management
skills. "The diversity is nice, (and) it’s a positive thing. It
will be good to see women do this stuff."
In Freischlag’s case, her colleagues couldn’t agree more.
"She makes complex vascular procedures look routine," Busuttil
said.
"She’s an exceptional surgeon, an outstanding clinician, a
terrific human being, and one of the future leaders in surgery."
PATIL ARMENIAN
Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag is the newly appointed chief of
vascular surgery at the UCLA School of Medicine.
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