Celebrating African American History Month Dr. Alexander Thomas Augusta Dr. Alexander Thomas Augusta (1825-1890) was an African American surgeon, professor of medicine, and veteran of the American Civil War. He was the first African American commissioned medical officer in the United States Army when he was appointed surgeon with the Union Army in April 1863.   Learn more about the contribution of African Americans during the American Civil War in the NLM online exhibition, Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries: African Americans in Civil War Medicine, at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/bindingwounds/

Celebrating African American History Month Dr. Charles Richard Drew Dr. Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950) was an African American physician, surgeon, and medical researcher. He was called "the father of the blood bank," for his outstanding role in conceiving, organizing, and directing America's first large-scale blood banking program during the early years of World War II.   Learn more about Dr. Drew and his works at the NLM online exhibit, Profiles in Science, at http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/

Celebrating African American History Month Dr. Daniel Hale Williams Dr. Daniel Hale Williams (1856-1931) was an African American surgeon. He performed the world's first heart surgery when he opened up the chest of a man and repaired an injury to the pericardium in 1893 at Provident Hospital and Training School.   Learn more about the journey of African American physicians from pre-Civil War to modern day America in the NLM online exhibition, Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons, at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/aframsurgeons/

Celebrating African American History Month Dr. Tumaini R. Coker Dr. Tumaini Rucker Coker, assistant professor of pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, was honored with the 2011 Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship award from the Association of American Medical Colleges in Denver, CO on Nov. 7. The award recognizes an outstanding junior faculty member who has demonstrated leadership in addressing inequities in medical education and health care; demonstrated efforts in addressing educational, societal, and health care needs of minorities; and is committed to a career in academic medicine.  Visit: www.DGSOMDiversity.ucla.edu for full story.