Dr. Tracy Nolan of Tifton was named a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons at a recent convocation ceremony in Boston, Mass.

Nolan, the first female general surgeon in the history of Tift Regional Medical Center, was one of 1,970 initiates in the 2018 class from the United States, Canada, and 73 other countries, ranging from Afghanistan to Zambia.

The designation means that the surgeon’s education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct have undergone a rigorous evaluation and have been found to be consistent with the high standards established and demanded by the American College of Surgeons.

Nolan is the daughter of Mike and Kris Chason of Tifton and the granddaughter of Willie Berg and Geraldine Chason of Lakeland.

“My life as a surgeon is difficult but it’s also exciting and challenging,” Nolan said. “That’s one reason I love being a surgeon so much.”

After graduating from Tift County High School as an honor graduate in 1995, Nolan compiled a perfect 4.0 average in five academic quarters at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and was selected as the 1997 J.G. Woodroof Scholar, awarded to the top academic student at ABAC.

Nolan continued her pattern of academic success at the University of Georgia (UGA) where she also compiled a 4.0 average, earning her First Honor Graduate status, signifying an “A” in every subject. She graduated from UGA in 1998 with her bachelor’s degree in dietetics.

After completing her master’s degree in dietetics from UGA, Nolan began a career as a registered dietician. After a few years, she heard her future calling.

“I was telling the patients not to eat fried chicken every day but it wasn’t enough,” Nolan said. “I felt like there was more I could do for them. There were more ways I could be of service to them.”

Enrolling in the Mercer University School of Medicine in 2006 was the biggest step of her life. She graduated in 2010, and the dietician became a doctor.

After medical school graduation, Nolan served her required five years of surgery residency at the Medical Center of Central Georgia. She joined Tift Regional on Sept. 14, 2015. In 2016, she passed the oral and written examinations to become certified by the American Board of Surgery.

“Our patients come to us on the worst day of their lives, and we can put them on the road to recovery,” Nolan said. “They have a problem, and as a surgeon, I can fix it.”

Nolan was the speaker for the recent ABAC fall commencement ceremony. She inspired the 180 graduates with her message about “climbing the ladder.

“Start climbing the ladder of success today,” Nolan said. “Every rung brings you closer to being or doing what makes you, you. Develop connections. Let people know they can count on you. Be confident in your ability to get the job done. Get out there! Not much was ever accomplished by sitting around.”