ABFPRS Certifies 1,000th Diplomate
The ABFPRS honors Jose E. Barrera, MD, as its 1,000th diplomate for his facial plastic surgery skills honed to treat military and civilian wounded and disfigured in Afghanistan. “I’ll be back,” Jose E. Barrera, MD, informed Laurie Wirth, ABFPRS executive director, when he was told that ABFPRS certification could not be awarded when he first applied in 2008. Although Dr. Barrera passed the ABFPRS exam with flying colors that year, his operative experience, which was deemed exemplary by the ABFPRS Credentials Committee, was, unfortunately, just short of the necessary 1,000-point total required for completion of certification requirements. Although ABFPRS certification was not quite within Dr. Barrera’s grasp in 2008, he had already compiled a long list of accomplishments that would have made any medical organization sit up and take notice. “Being raised in the Dominican Republic, I chose medicine to fulfill a lifelong desire to help others,” said Dr. Barrera. “My father, Castro, always encouraged me to continue training—he was living proof that you’re never too old to stop learning. My dad went to law school at age 76, graduated at 79, practiced for 5 years, and passed away at age 85. His dedication and drive knew no age boundaries— even though he’s gone, he will always be a motivating force in my life,” said Dr. Barrera. Dr, Barrera’s motivation to make medicine his life’s work was in evidence when he graduated with military distinction from the U.S. Air Force Academy and attended the University of Colorado Health Sciences for medical school. There, he became involved in head and neck cancer research and completed a fellowship with Marileila Varella-Garcia, PhD. Dr. Barrera went on to complete his residency in otolaryngology at the University of Colorado and was mentored by John P. Campana, MD, a friend whom Dr. Barrera credits with showing him how to be compassionate with patients and how to demonstrate dignity above scientific endeavor. After his residency, Dr. Barrera went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force as an otolaryngologist in Japan and as a flight surgeon for the 459th Airlift Squadron. While in the Pacific, he earned the Surgeon of the Year award two years in a row as well as the coveted Department of Defense Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Research. Following his tour in Japan, Dr. Barrera found his way to Stanford University where he completed two additional fellowships — one in sleep medicine and surgery with Robert W. Riley, MD, and Nelson B. Powell, MD, and another in facial plastic surgery with Richard L. Goode, MD, and Sam P. Most, MD. “My fellowships further exposed me to complicated facial aesthetic and reconstructive surgeries which dovetailed with my orthognathic and craniofacial experience,” said Dr. Barrera. “My additional training readied me for my most challenging and rewarding assignment, when I deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 as the theater’s sole otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeon,” he said. Dr. Barrera was exposed to challenging adult and pediatric cases in addition to reconstructing complex facial injuries suffered by American, Afghani, and Coalition forces. “I utilized every ounce of my training to address complex craniofacial reconstructions every day,” said Dr. Barrera. “But the civilian need for surgical treatment was so great, I petitioned my medical command to accept humanitarian cases from the region. They agreed and I performed cleft lip and palate surgeries, microtia reconstructions, and, sadly, worked on disfigurement cases caused by physical abuse designed to subjugate young women and children,” he said. During his eight-month tour of duty in Afghanistan, Dr. Barrera performed more than 250 surgical procedures on more than 100 American, coalition, and local nationals. With the help of Ian Zlotolow, a civilian prosthodontist, he performed the first facial prosthetic mission of Operation Enduring Freedom, ensuring that 11 Afghans, who’d been disfigured through war injuries or domestic violence, received prosthetic eyes and ears. Because of his compassion and surgical care for their children, Afghan villagers bestowed a gift upon Dr. Barrera not often received by outsiders — they accepted him as one of their own. Upon his return from Afghanistan, Dr. Barrera submitted another application to complete ABFPRS surgical requirements during the 2011 certification cycle. His exemplary surgical skills were fully evident to the ABFPRS Credentials Committee and his abundant caseload more than fulfilled the points necessary for him to achieve certification in 2011. “Reconstructive cases speak deeply to my soul,” said Dr. Barrera, who is currently serving in the U.S. Air Force as the Division Chief for sleep and craniofacial surgery and as the staff facial plastic surgeon at the San Antonio Military Medical Center. The ABFPRS is honored and humbled to name this skilled and compassionate surgeon as its 1,000th diplomate. Dr. Barrera’s worthy mission, to restore physical deformity with the aspiration of healing deeper wounds, is a mission we will not soon forget.
The ABFPRS honors Jose E. Barrera, MD, as its 1,000th diplomate for his facial plastic surgery skills honed to treat military and civilian wounded and disfigured in Afghanistan.
“I’ll be back,” Jose E. Barrera, MD, informed Laurie Wirth, ABFPRS executive director, when he was told that ABFPRS certification could not be awarded when he first applied in 2008. Although Dr. Barrera passed the ABFPRS exam with flying colors that year, his operative experience, which was deemed exemplary by the ABFPRS Credentials Committee, was, unfortunately, just short of the necessary 1,000-point total required for completion of certification requirements.
Although ABFPRS certification was not quite within Dr. Barrera’s grasp in 2008, he had already compiled a long list of accomplishments that would have made any medical organization sit up and take notice.
“Being raised in the Dominican Republic, I chose medicine to fulfill a lifelong desire to help others,” said Dr. Barrera. “My father, Castro, always encouraged me to continue training—he was living proof that you’re never too old to stop learning. My dad went to law school at age 76, graduated at 79, practiced for 5 years, and passed away at age 85. His dedication and drive knew no age boundaries— even though he’s gone, he will always be a motivating force in my life,” said Dr. Barrera.
Dr, Barrera’s motivation to make medicine his life’s work was in evidence when he graduated with military distinction from the U.S. Air Force Academy and attended the University of Colorado Health Sciences for medical school. There, he became involved in head and neck cancer research and completed a fellowship with Marileila Varella-Garcia, PhD. Dr. Barrera went on to complete his residency in otolaryngology at the University of Colorado and was mentored by John P. Campana, MD, a friend whom Dr. Barrera credits with showing him how to be compassionate with patients and how to demonstrate dignity above scientific endeavor.
After his residency, Dr. Barrera went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force as an otolaryngologist in Japan and as a flight surgeon for the 459th Airlift Squadron. While in the Pacific, he earned the Surgeon of the Year award two years in a row as well as the coveted Department of Defense Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Research.
Following his tour in Japan, Dr. Barrera found his way to Stanford University where he completed two additional fellowships — one in sleep medicine and surgery with Robert W. Riley, MD, and Nelson B. Powell, MD, and another in facial plastic surgery with Richard L. Goode, MD, and Sam P. Most, MD.
“My fellowships further exposed me to complicated facial aesthetic and reconstructive surgeries which dovetailed with my orthognathic and craniofacial experience,” said Dr. Barrera. “My additional training readied me for my most challenging and rewarding assignment, when I deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 as the theater’s sole otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeon,” he said.
Dr. Barrera was exposed to challenging adult and pediatric cases in addition to reconstructing complex facial injuries suffered by American, Afghani, and Coalition forces. “I utilized every ounce of my training to address complex craniofacial reconstructions every day,” said Dr. Barrera. “But the civilian need for surgical treatment was so great, I petitioned my medical command to accept humanitarian cases from the region. They agreed and I performed cleft lip and palate surgeries, microtia reconstructions, and, sadly, worked on disfigurement cases caused by physical abuse designed to subjugate young women and children,” he said.
During his eight-month tour of duty in Afghanistan, Dr. Barrera performed more than 250 surgical procedures on more than 100 American, coalition, and local nationals. With the help of Ian Zlotolow, a civilian prosthodontist, he performed the first facial prosthetic mission of Operation Enduring Freedom, ensuring that 11 Afghans, who’d been disfigured through war injuries or domestic violence, received prosthetic eyes and ears. Because of his compassion and surgical care for their children, Afghan villagers bestowed a gift upon Dr. Barrera not often received by outsiders — they accepted him as one of their own.
Upon his return from Afghanistan, Dr. Barrera submitted another application to complete ABFPRS surgical requirements during the 2011 certification cycle. His exemplary surgical skills were fully evident to the ABFPRS Credentials Committee and his abundant caseload more than fulfilled the points necessary for him to achieve certification in 2011.
“Reconstructive cases speak deeply to my soul,” said Dr. Barrera, who is currently serving in the U.S. Air Force as the Division Chief for sleep and craniofacial surgery and as the staff facial plastic surgeon at the San Antonio Military Medical Center.
The ABFPRS is honored and humbled to name this skilled and compassionate surgeon as its 1,000th diplomate. Dr. Barrera’s worthy mission, to restore physical deformity with the aspiration of healing deeper wounds, is a mission we will not soon forget.