Gastroenterologist Named UC San Diego Health System Physician of the Year

Thomas J. Savides, MD, interim chief and professor of clinical medicines for the division of gastroenterology, has been named as physician of the year for UC San Diego Health System, according to a UCSD news release.

Dr. Savides also serves as GI fellowship training director and GI clinical services chief. He has been on the faculty of UC San Diego since 1993 and was named a "top doctor" by San Diego Magazine in their "Physicians of Exceptional Excellence" survey in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009, according to the release. Dr. Savides has an international reputation for his innovative clinical research on novel uses of endoscopy, such as endoscopic ultrasound for lung cancer staging and gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancer diagnosis and staging. He is working on a new research area involving natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery.

Dr. Savides directs a nationally recognized advanced GI endoscopy fellowship program at UC San Diego's Thornton Hospital, for which he is the principle educator for year-long trainees who have completed a three-year GI fellowship or visiting scholars observing the program, according to the release.

Read the UCSD news release on Dr. Thomas Savides.