For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2014

Frederick M. Azar, MD Assumes the Position of President of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

NEW ORLEANS ─ Today, Memphis-area physician Frederick M. Azar, MD assumes the position of president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors at its Annual Meeting. Currently, Dr. Azar serves as the chief of staff of the Campbell Clinic, as well as a professor and director of the sports medicine fellowship program in the University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.  Previously he served as director of the department’s residency program for 10 years.  Dr. Azar is a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), and the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), along with many other national and international groups. Dr. Azar also serves as team physician for the NBA Memphis Grizzlies, as well as the University of Memphis and Christian Brothers University sport teams.

“Orthopaedics, just like all of medicine and health care, is in the middle of a paradigm shift,” explained Dr. Azar. “As president of an organization that serves nearly 38,000 members, I see this shift as an opportunity and I promise to work tirelessly on our members’ behalf to refine new programs, products and services in education, advocacy, practice management, quality, research and communications to help them deliver the highest-quality care to their patients. It’s been an honor and privilege to serve in the Academy’s presidential line for the past two years, and I look forward to what the future holds.”  

Dr. Azar has served in volunteer orthopaedic leadership positions for more than 20 years. Before being elected to the Academy presidential line he served AAOS as treasurer. He graduated from the inaugural AAOS Leadership Fellows Program in 2003 and is the first alumni of the program to become president of the Academy.

Dr. Azar earned his medical degree at Tulane University of Medicine, completed an internship at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Missouri, a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic in Memphis, and a fellowship in sports medicine at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Ala. He also is the author or co-author of numerous peer-reviewed journals, a large number of book chapters in authoritative textbooks and has been the director or co-director of numerous continuing medical education courses in sports medicine.

“Fred is a natural born leader and this has been particularly evident in his many contributions to the Academy, his local community, his commitment to the physicians at the Campbell Clinic, and the list goes on and on,” explained outgoing AAOS President, Joshua Jacobs, MD.  “And, he does all of these things with thoroughness, thoughtfulness and excellence. We are indeed fortunate to have someone of his caliber lead our organization into the future.”

More about Dr. Azar

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