Dr. Frederick P. Beavers’ life depicts him as the embodiment of an experienced professional. Through trial and error, he has gained the ability to interact with patients, colleagues and administrators. This descriptor holds true through the importance he has placed on identifying mentors. He expresses that the right people he’s met have left a huge impact on his life, even to the point where he changed career paths.
Beavers was fully committed in becoming a trauma surgeon until he became a fourth-year surgery resident and rotated onto the vascular surgery service, where he met Dr. James J. Schuler at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This rotation became a transitional point in Beavers’ career, with Schuler becoming a valued role model.
“Dr. Schuler held a conference every Thursday afternoon and the amount of dedication that he showed to teaching residents was enormous,” said Beavers. “Although I still had a leaning toward trauma, I just pivoted toward vascular surgery.”
Beavers was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Illinois. He always thought he would spend his life serving the poor and middle class in his hometown, but personal choices (marriage and family) and professional opportunities led him to relocate to Washington, D.C., where he is the current Chief of Vascular Surgery at the D.C. Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. Beavers also works as an associate professor in Clinical Surgery at Georgetown University, helping educate and train future vascular surgeons.
For Beavers, Black History Month is an everyday experience and not something exclusive to one month out of 12. He reminds his children of who they are and where they’ve come from, all while teaching them about black history as a lived experience. Beavers is cognizant of his skin color and the disparity in health care treatment African Americans receive in the United States. However, he holds himself up to a standard that ensures equal and proper treatment for all patients under his care.
“I’ve had instances where I know patients have been hesitant for me to care for them. There has never been an instance where a patient has refused to be seen by me because of my skin color. But my credentials would often be questioned. One time, I walked into the exam room to see a patient with lower extremity rest pain. The look on his face indicated that he was surprised to see an African-American vascular surgeon,” said Beavers. “Upon examination, I saw a tattoo of a swastika on his forearm. Now, both of us were in shock. To shorten the story, eventually, we saw each other as human beings. He accepted my recommendations for surgery, and he became one of my favorite and most loyal patients. My parents, who grew up in the Jim Crow South and experienced racism, taught me how to recognize, receive, deal with bias, and move beyond it.”
Dr. Beavers has over 20 years of experience and has undergone an evolution in thought and practice as a vascular surgeon. His early years as a resident were grounded in open-operative interventions. By the time he became a Vascular Fellow, endovascular therapy had begun to take off. This combined educational experience has impacted his decision-making, allowing him to offer the best option to patients. He has transferred this experience into the area of teaching. His goal is to make sure the medical students and residents he teaches understand the importance of combining sound science and experience in the decision-making process of treating patients.
Dr. Beavers' profile was created in collaboration with the Voices of Vascular Series. Join the SVS and SVS Foundation as we honor celebratory months by sharing facts, highlighting SVS members and more. Visit the Voices of Vascular page to learn more.