John Marquis Converse, 1909-1981

Achieving Growth and Excellence in Medicine

“…8,21 With family in Boston, he elected to train at Massachusetts General Hospital, having been introduced to Kazanjian through a wartime colleague of the professors. 21 Converse trained under Kazanjian at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear infirmary through 1938 21 then returned to Paris to work with prominent surgeons including Gillies before moving to New York to establish himself. 8,21 It was in this period that WWI Army surgeons Sterling Bunnell and Norman Kirk met.…”

“…21 Converse trained under Kazanjian at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear infirmary through 1938 21 then returned to Paris to work with prominent surgeons including Gillies before moving to New York to establish himself. 8,21 It was in this period that WWI Army surgeons Sterling Bunnell and Norman Kirk met. The former was in private practice in San Francisco, and the latter stationed at nearby Letterman Army Hospital.…”

The History of Otolaryngology in Plastic Surgery

“…He was a heavy smoker with peptic ulcer disease. 13 Dr. Converse was the first President-Elect of the Transplantation Society (1966) and President from 1967 to 1968. He became Chairman of Plastic Surgery at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital from 1952 to 1975.…”

“…2,14 He also served as Director of the Society for the Rehabilitation of the Facially Disfigured at Manhattan Eye and Ear. He established a craniofacial center at the Institute and published the seven-volume "bible" of plastic surgery, 13 Despite all these accomplishments, Dr. Converse's road to plastic surgery was not without difficulty. He was certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology in 1939 but was not certified by the ABPS until 12 years later.…”

“…In 1950, the Board voted to give him another chance at the examination. 13 THE AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY During the early years, examiners determined eligibility to sit for the examination on an individual basis. On May 31, 1942, the Founders group of the Board closed and standards were set in place.…”