Dr. Rey Cordero, surgeon from Atascadero, California will be inducted as the 36th President of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America during the Society’s 37th Annual Surgical Symposium in Burlingame California, July 13-16, 2011. Previous to being elected last year, Dr. Cordero was the Society’s Executive Secretary.  He is also SPSA’s Liaison Committee to the Philippine College of Surgeons.

Dr. Cordero graduated in 1972 from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. Trained in general and thoracic surgery at Makati Medical Center in the Philippines in 1972-76, he did a Fellowship in Cardiovascular Surgery in 1976-78 at the Philippine Heart Center before he immigrated to the US where he did his surgical training at Kansas University Medical Center in 1980-84. After a brief private practice stint in Johnson City, Kansas, he moved to California where he becomes the Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Surgery at the Atascadero Forensic Psychiatric Hospital where he retired in 2003. He presently is the Medical Director of Medworks Medical Center.

Rey, as his friends call him, is a Past Grand Knight, 4th Degree, Knights of Columbus, President of the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California in 2000-2001 and 2010-2011. Active in local and state medical societies, he is a recipient of awards from local medical society foundation as well as from the California State Assembly.  He and his wife are recipients this April 30 of Phi Delta Kappa Lay Citizens of the Year Award.
He intends to reach out to younger surgeons of Filipino ancestry, encourage participation in Society’s activities and continue dialogue with the Philippine College of Surgeons on activities that will benefit both organizations.

Dr. Cordero has three children, a son and two daughters, and four grandsons. He enjoys hiking and biking in the mountains that surround San Luis Obispo. He says he would enjoy golf if he had more time to play and learn from an excellent golfer.