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William P. Schecter, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.C.C.M.
- Professor Emeritus of Surgery
- Division of General Surgery
Education
- Harpur College, State University of New York, A.B. Magna Cum Laude, Political Science, 1964-68
- Albany Medical College, M.D., Medicine, 1968-72
Residencies
- San Francisco General Hospital, Intern, Medicine, 1972-1973
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Resident, Anesthesia, 1973-1975
- UCSF School of Medicine, Resident, Surgery, 1976-1978
- UCSF School of Medicine, Chief Resident, Surgery, 1978-1979
Research Interests
- Clinical surgical problems related to HIV infection
- Ethical issues in surgical practice relating to the treatment of HIV-infected patients and end of life decisions
- Mass casualty events
- Occupational risk of blood-borne infection
- Clinical surgical problems related to injury and infection
Website Links
- MedShare International
- MedShare Ships First Container to Tonga
- Operation Access
- He's not a doctor, he's an angel"
- SFGH Foundation Honors Chief of Surgery
- Dr. Schecter Receives Volunteerism Award from the American College of Surgeons
- Dr. Schecter Receives 2011 Chancellor's Award for Public Service
- Images from the 2011 Commencement Ceremony
Biography
Dr. William P. Schecter is Professor of Clinical Surgery at the UCSF Division of Surgery at San Francisco General Hospital. He received an A.B. in Political Science at Harpur College (Binghamton, New York) in 1968, his M.D. at the Albany Medical College (New York State) in 1972 and completed a Rotating Internship at the SFGH (1972-1973). His subsequent education included a residency in Anesthesiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, a residency in Surgery at UCSF and a Fellowship in Hand Surgery.
In 1980 Dr. Schecter joined the UCSF faculty as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery. He then served as the Chief of Surgery at the LBJ Tropical Medical Center, Pago Pago, American Samoa (1981-1983) and as a Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Natal, Durban, RSA (1983-1984). Dr. Schecter returned to UCSF in 1984. Dr. Schecter was appointed Chief of Surgery at the San Francisco General Hospital and Vice-Chair of Surgery at UCSF in 1993. He served as Chief of Surgery at SFGH and as Vice-Chair of Surgery at UCSF from 1993-2008.
Between January 1 and June 30, 2004, Dr. Schecter spent a Sabbatical at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel, studying civilian hospital response to mass casualty events. In July and August 2006, Dr. Schecter served in the Rebecca Sieff Hospital in Safed, Israel, caring for casualties from the 2006 Lebanon war.
Dr. Schecter has served as President of the San Francisco Surgical Society, President of the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, Governor of the American College of Surgeons, President of the Board of Directors of Operation Access (a non-profit corporation providing uncompensated surgical services to the uninsured) and Vice-President of the Pacific Coast Surgical Association. In 2004, he was elected as a Director of the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Schecter's clinical interests involve the surgery of poverty: trauma, soft tissue infections related to drug use and alcoholism, advanced malignancy related to poor access to health care and the surgical treatment of HIV infected patients.
In the News
- UCSF Center for Global Surgical Studies - - March 31, 2015DCP3 PRESS RELEASE The Disease Control Priorities Network at the University of Washington's Department of Global Health has released its first volume of the Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition (DCP3) series, focused on essential surgery. Volume editor and UCSF Professor, Haile T. Debas, says that it identifies and defines 44 procedures that should be available in low- and middle-income countries based on their ability to address population needs, cost-effectiveness, and feasibility. Volume [...]
- UCSF Department of Surgery at Zuckerberg San Francisco General - December 10, 2006"After 13 years doing trauma surgery at San Francisco General Hospital, Dr. Andre Campbell knows just about everything there is to know about calamity, mayhem and long nights. "........."For as long as he has been at General, Campbell has worked beside the head of trauma surgery, Bill Schecter, who is 10 years older than the 48-year-old Campbell. Schecter embodies the work ethic and the mission of the hospital."
