For two decades, Dr. Shlomo Raz made it a top priority to help educate and better train urologists in Latin American and Mexico. What began as a small undertaking with a few urologists has since grown to include thousands of physicians. Raz is a professor of urology and the longtime chief of the Division of Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Now, the Confederación Americano de Urologia (CAU), an organization of 8,000 urologists from Central and South America, Mexico and Spain, has honored Raz for his efforts by naming its highest accolade in his honor and bestowing him with the inaugural medal. The Shlomo Raz Medal, a bronze medallion bearing his likeness, was awarded to him on Oct. 2 at a CAU meeting in Lima, Peru.
Born in Uruguay, Raz said his efforts began as a way to give back to Latin America.
“I had a sort of guilty feeling about coming to the United States and practicing here, not taking back the knowledge I gained to my country,” said Raz. “I’m very honored and proud to have this medal named after me and to be its first recipient.”