Dr. Linda Phillips, MD, Professor and Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at UTMB, recently delivered the Centennial Presidential Address at the 100th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons (AAPS) held in San Diego, CA, from April 9-12, 2022. The title of her address was “The Changing Face of Plastic Surgery.” Her presentation aimed to encourage her colleagues to cultivate more collaboration in the field of plastic surgery. Dr. Phillips was inducted as AAPS President in 2021. 

The theme of the Centennial meeting was “Honoring the Past, Anticipating the Future.” Dr. Julie Park, Professor of Plastic Surgery at UTMB, served as a Co-Chair of the Program Committee for the meeting. The meeting reflected on the “amazing accomplishments of [the] past leaders and founders of American Plastic Surgery,” while urging the Association to “continue to look toward and prepare for the future,” said Phillips. She continued, “Our Association is a group of leaders among leaders. We are by nature flexible and resilient […] To continue to flex and adapt to the new circumstances of our second century, we must have, and welcome, members with diverse talents, experiences, passions and backgrounds to reflect our increasingly diverse patient population.” The Association has already taken numerous steps toward this goal. 

The American Association of Plastic Surgeons, founded in 1921, is the oldest organized Plastic Surgery organization in the world. The purpose of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons is to advance the science and art of plastic surgery through surgical education, research, scientific presentations, and professional interaction.