About the Surgeon

I know so many students who speak highly of Dr. Maxwell. We are fortunate to have him serve as the faculty advisor to our society. The students on his service love him. He goes out of his way to bring students into a surgical case and makes sure that every student feels that his or her involvement matters to the team. He offers a lot of positive reinforcement and helps to create incredible opportunities for the many Jefferson students considering a surgical career.

At our first Gibbon Society meeting of the year, he gave out his cell phone number to a handful of newly elected students he’d just met, inviting us to contact him any time. As we plan the year’s activities, he’s always available—even on weekends—to answer questions or offer advice. Because he is so generous with his time and expertise, the students benefit tremendously from direct access to a surgeon of his caliber.

–Jordan Bloom, JMC Class of 2011

The Gibbon Surgical Society promotes surgery to medical students on campus through lectures and events. John H. Gibbon Jr., MD, Jefferson professor and chairman of surgery (1956-1967), is renowned in medical history as the inventor of the heart-lung machine, which made possible the world’s first successful open-heart operation at Jefferson in 1953. Dr. Gibbon focused international attention on Jefferson by ushering in a new era of cardiac surgery.