The Senate of the University of Pécs has awarded the title of "doctor et professor honoris causa" to Frank D. Ferris on 7 November 2024.
Prof. Dr. Frank D. Ferris is an oncologist, palliative physician, and internationally recognised educator and researcher in the field of palliative medicine.
Through his work and personal support, Professor Ferris has contributed greatly to the development and improvement of the educational and research programs of the Hospice-Palliative Care Department at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Pécs, the only one of its kind in Hungary, as well as to the undergraduate and postgraduate education in palliative medicine.
Prof. Dr. Frank D. Ferris is a Canadian and American citizen who earned his medical degree in 1981 from McMaster University in Canada. He obtained his board certification in internal medicine in 1984 and in radiation oncology in 1987. He is currently a clinical professor in the Department of Hospice and Palliative Care at Ohio University and director of the San Diego PallMed Website Project and the Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Curriculum (PCIC).
Prof. Dr. Frank Ferris is an international authority in the field of palliative medicine, with decades of outstanding work in his field and a wide-ranging and extremely active research and teaching career. As a physician, he is a committed advocate for the early integration of pain management and palliative care, and as a researcher, he has published numerous international publications on the subject. He is the author or co-author of nearly 50 books and book chapters, more than 50 international publications, reports, articles, and over 100 abstracts. He is a member of the editorial board of several internationally renowned journals (e.g., Journal of Cancer Education, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management) and serves as a reviewer for eight journals.
He is an internationally recognized authority in palliative medicine education and is actively involved in teaching. He played a key role in the development of the internationally renowned Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC) and EPEC-Oncology teaching materials. His commitment to teaching is demonstrated by his decade-long work as director of the OhioHealth charity organisation, in collaboration with the WHO, to establish palliative medicine in developing countries. Since the 1990s, he has been an exceptionally active lecturer on palliative topics at the international level. Last academic year alone, he gave 72 invited lectures worldwide.
His outstanding grant and research activity is well reflected in the 31 research programs listed in his CV. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including: Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (FAAHPM), Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO), Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Education Academy (FACE), and European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC).
During his professional career, he has received 16 prestigious awards, including the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal awarded by the Governor General of Canada, the National Leadership Award from the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA), and an honorary doctorate from Tbilisi University (Georgia).
Through his teaching activities at the University of Pécs, he maintains close ties with the University and has made, and continues to make, a significant contribution to raising the standard of education. He supports the faculty's undergraduate and postgraduate educational programs, particularly those of the Institute of Primary Care and the Department of Hospice and Palliative Care, with his active lecturing activities every year. In undergraduate education, students have had numerous opportunities to expand their knowledge in the compulsory Medical Communication and elective Legal Clinic and Palliative Medicine courses. He regularly teaches as a guest lecturer in the residency training program and the palliative medicine license course, in person whenever possible.
During the COVID period, he switched to immediate online teaching with outstanding flexibility and prepared the Institute's staff for professional online teaching. His teaching methodology techniques, developed for small groups and online formats and also used in PTE courses, are innovative. Feedback from participants attests to his teaching excellence and charismatic presentation skills. His lectures fill a gap in the market with their novel approaches and inspiring and captivating delivery. His professional materials, videos, and developments are an essential part of family medicine education, especially palliative medicine, as well as residency training. He has been a guest speaker at the Palliative Symposium organised annually by the Institute on several occasions. In 2022, the Hospice-Palliative Department will celebrate its 10th anniversary, and in 2023, the Institute of Primary Care will celebrate its 30th anniversary, at which he will express his appreciation for the work of this Institute and Department of the University of Pécs.
His 1992 book on grief counseling, co-authored with John D. Martin, was published in Hungarian translation with the collaboration of the Department's staff under the title "Csak hull a könnyem. A gyász és feldolgozása" (Only My Tears Fall: Grief and Its Processing). This work has since become one of the fundamental texts on grief counseling in Hungary.
