ABFPRS President
2012-2015
THE MARK V. CONNELLY AWARD FOR AN OUTSTANDING ABFPRS APPLICATION
Mark Connelly was one of the original surgeons certified by the ABFPRS in 1991 who began serving on the Credentials Committee in 1998 and was appointed Chairman from 2003 to 2009. During that time, Mark loved helping applicants understand what it takes to not only become an ABFPRS diplomate—he also made sure surgeons appreciated the high and exacting standards ABFPRS certification represents once it is achieved. Mark’s influence impacted hundreds of applicants who went through ABFPRS credentialing during his tenure on the Credentials Committee.
In honor and recognition of Dr. Mark Connelly’s steadfast commitment to upholding and advancing requirements for ABFPRS certification in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, the ABFPRS created the Mark V. Connelly Award for an Outstanding ABFPRS Application in 2025 and will award it on an annual basis to a new diplomate whose primary application reflects:
*Application organization and attention to detail
*Operative reports that contain specific patient informationas it relates to the procedure being performed and includes comprehensive procedure descriptions, additional findings, and post operative details
*Operative reports that represent the depth and breadth of facial plastic and reconstructive surgical experience
“Mark was a gentleman and a gentle man. He was not just a surgeon. He was a good doctor with a warm and open heart. He listened with empathy unclouded by cynicism or impatience. He did not let the challenges of life erase the compassion he had for his patients and his colleagues. I never knew him to express irritation at the complexities of life and human interactions. He had the innate knowledge that one’s words and actions were tools that could help, heal, and encourage all to be better and never should be used to harm. He was the epitome of what a doctor must have: “A heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” (Charles Dickens. By Miss Jenny in Our Mutual Friend).”
– William H. Truswell (ABFPRS President, 2018-2021)
Winners of the Mark V. Connelly Award
2025 Cristen Olds, M.D.