On Friday, November 10, Dr. David Ott attended the 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Awards at University of Texas where he was honored for his professional achievements as one of the world’s most experienced heart surgeons. Over the course of his career, he has performed more than 20,000 heart and vascular procedures, earning a strong reputation for his technical expertise in the field of cardiovascular surgery. He is the Surgeon-in-Chief at Texas Heart Institute (THI) and has been a member of our professional staff for more than 37 years.
“I’ve trained, learned from or taken care of people from every walk of life and just about every country in the world, and it’s broadened my horizons substantially,” said Dr. Ott when accepting his award and reflecting on his career in the Texas Medical Center. “I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the University of Texas for providing the basis for what life was to bring in the future and I am immensely grateful.” Dr. Ott joins fellow THI colleagues Dr. O.H. “Bud” Frazier (1993) and Dr. James T. Willerson (1999) who were previous recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
A Phi Beta Kappa honors graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Ott moved to Houston in 1968 to attend Baylor College of Medicine, where he graduated with honors in 1972, and was named to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Dr. Ott also served in the 4005th Army Hospital Unit of the U.S. Army Reserves from 1972 to 1978. Dr. Ott is certified by the American Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (1978). He is also a member of numerous professional and surgical societies, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons. Dr. Ott is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Cardiology, and was the recipient of the Ray C. Fish Award for Scientific Achievement last year.
Dr. Ott has lectured in 15 countries, authored more than 160 scientific publications, and continues to treat patients and educate the next generation of cardiovascular surgeons through his positions at Texas Heart Institute, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and Texas Children’s Hospital. Watch the tribute video created by the Texas Exes honoring Dr. Ott and his accomplishments.
