LVMC Surgeon Initiated into American College of Surgeons

Lompoc Valley Medical Center’s Dr. Christopher Taglia was among 2,350 Initiates globally who became Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) during a Convocation ceremony at the College’s virtual Clinical Congress 2021, October 23-27. This year’s class of Initiates was among one of the largest ever admitted into the College.

Dr. Taglia received a medical doctorate from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and completed his surgical residency at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Since completing his Fellowship in bariatric surgery, he has been practicing at Lompoc Valley Medical Center as a general and bariatric surgeon.

Dr. Taglia attained board certification from the American Board of Surgery in 2019. He has a strong professional interest in minimally invasive, robotic, and bariatric surgery. He holds membership in other professional societies, including the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

By meeting the College’s stringent membership requirements, Fellows of the College have earned the distinguished right to use the designation of “FACS” (Fellow, American College of Surgeons) after their names.

An applicant for Fellowship must be a graduate of an approved medical school; must have completed advanced training in one of the 14 surgical specialties recognized by the College; must possess certification by an American surgical specialty board or appropriate certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; and must have been in practice for at least one year at the time of their application. Before admission into Fellowship, the surgeon must further demonstrate ethical fitness and professional proficiency. Their acceptance as a Fellow of the College must be approved by three-fourths of its Board of Regents.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. The College has more than 84,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.