Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub received the UK Order of Merit from Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first Egyptian to ever receive the prestigious award. Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub was awarded the Order of Merit for his accomplishments in the fields of cardiothoracic surgery and transplants. The Order of Merit is a dynastic order and is restricted to a maximum of 24 living recipients at any time. It was founded in 1902 by King Edward the VII and amongst its recipients is Sir Winston Churchill. As the world’s leading transplant surgeon and a Guinness World Record holder for the most number of surgeries (100) in one year, in 1980, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub has become a pioneer in his field of work. According to Imperial College London, “Professor Yacoub established the largest heart and lung transplantation programme in the world, where more than 2,500 transplant operations have been performed.” His Life Born in 1935 in Ashraqya, Egypt, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub studied medicine at Cairo University and qualified as a doctor in 1957 before moving to Britain in 1962. “I always wanted to be a surgeon, because I had a lot…
Magdi Yacoub becomes the first Egyptian to receive the Order of Merit
June 14, 2014
