David Tom Cooke, chief of general thoracic surgery at UC Davis Health, was voted president-elect of the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA) and will assume the position on May 1, 2021. Cooke becomes the first African American to hold the position and will transition to president of the 43-year-old organization in May 2023. His term runs until May 2025.
David Tom Cooke, chief of general thoracic surgery at UC Davis, to serve as president-elect of the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association.
Prior to Cooke's term as president-elect, he served as councilor on the TSDA Executive Committee, from May 2017 to May 2021. Cooke succeeds A. J. Carpenter, a UC Davis cardiothoracic surgery fellowship alumna, who is now with University of Texas Health.
The TSDA was established in 1978 as a membership organization for cardiothoracic surgery residency program directors. TSDA provides resources and networking opportunities for program directors and program coordinators, and supplemental curriculum materials and resources for general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery residents.
Past presidents include Hermes Grillo, John Benfield, Mark Orringer and Edward Verrier.
