This Tuesday, at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Michael DeBakey, 99, was celabrated by his colleagues and friends for the honor to be awarded with Congressional Gold Metal.

Last month a bill awarding Dr. DeBakey the Gold Metal was passed by Congress and signed by President Bush. Dr. DeBakey will receive the medal sometime next year in Wsshington. Almost 400 people gathered at Baylor’s College, where Dr. DeBakey was handed the framed copy of the President signed bill awarding him the medal altogether with the pen which President Bush used to sign it.

The Congressional Gold Medal was created in 1865 and is considered as the nation’s highest civilian honor. Dr. DeBakey will be the 135th to receive the Gold Medal. He was honored for his lifetime achievements in surgical domain, but also for his decisive role in the medical system. He contributed in innovating surgical operations, helped to create MASH units, the mobile military army surgical hospitals and participated in molding the Veterans Administration medical system.

The same day, Dr. DeBakey received another lifetime achievement award from Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society, ending this way a feud that began several decades ago between Dr. DeBakey and Dr. Cooley. Dr. DeBakey developed the first full artificial heart in his laboratories, in a federal granted project, and Dr. Cooley performed first surgery with this heart without the former's permission. Yesterday, the two heart doctors finally shook their hands.