Alan S. Crandall, MD was recently awarded the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ of Utah's Dr. Clark Lowe Rich Distinguished Surgeon and Mentor Award. This award recognizes "an outstanding surgeon who has demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication in the field of surgery, including teaching, advising, and mentoring medical students, interns, residents, or fellows at the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ of Utah."
Crandall has been a part of the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ of Utah's Department of Ophthalmology for over 30 years. He is the Val A. and Edith D. Green Presidential Professor, as well as Senior Vice-chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Director of Glaucoma and Cataract.
"He is one of the most focused, skilled, and innovative surgeons I have ever known," said Dr. Randall J Olson, Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and CEO of the John A. Moran Eye Center. "His surgeries are a joy to watch."
Olson praised Crandall for his commitment to his residents and fellows. "Dr. Crandall is the rare doctor who combines world-class surgical and patient care skills with an obvious passion for teaching. He is a dedicated instructor, and he regularly invites residents and fellows to his home to learn from their own videotaped surgeries. The Moran Eye Center is well known for producing the best surgically trained residents in the country, and we owe much of this distinction to his superb tutelage!"
For almost 20 years, Crandall has also provided free surgical care in underserved areas and has trained promising ophthalmologists in developing countries. In recent years he has expanded his commitment to these countries by helping to create the Division of International Ophthalmology, of which he is co-director. Under his leadership, the Moran Eye Center has become the premier institute for ophthalmology outreach in the United States.
The award was presented on Thursday, May 22, 2014, at the Dean's Reception for the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ of Utah School of Medicine.
About the Award
This Clark Lowe Rich Distinguished Surgeon and Mentor Award was established in the memory of Dr. Rich, co-founder and first president of the Ogden Surgical Medical Society, and Chief-of-Staff at Dee and St Benedicts Hospitals. He was a gifted diagnostician and surgeon, with unusual insight and a caring demeanor.