Mieczysław Szostek (born 20 September 1933 in Legionowo)
Honorary Citizen of the Capital City of Warsaw from June 2014.
A surgeon, Professor of Medicine, Deputy to the Sejm, Chairman of the National Council of the Capital City of Warsaw in 1981-1990.
Until 3 September 1939, he lived in Legionowo. After the outbreak of the war, the family was evacuated to the vicinity of Siedlce, where he completed his primary and secondary school. In 1952-1958, he studied at the Medical Academy in Warsaw. Afterwards, he started working at the I Department of Surgery of the Academy.
In 1963 and 1967, he obtained his first and second degree of specialisation in general surgery, respectively. In the same year, he gained his PhD presenting a thesis entitled Recanalisation of venous thrombosis and defended his postdoctoral thesis in 1975 entitled Surgical treatment of post-thrombotic syndrome. He became Head of the Department of General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery in 1980 and obtained the title of professor in 1985. In 1964-1965, he received a scholarship from the British Medical Council. In 1985-1986, he was a vascular surgery consultant to the World Health Organisation, delivering, among others, training courses in India, China and Korea.
For many terms of office, he served on the National Council of the Capital City of Warsaw, including nine years as its chairman (1981-1990), being the first non-party member of the Council in its history. In 1985, he was elected Deputy to the Sejm of the Polish People's Republic of the 9th term in the Warsaw-Ochota district.
In 1991-1993, he was President of the European Society of Vascular Surgeons and later its board member. He was appointed Vice Rector of the Medical Academy in Warsaw for Clinical Affairs, Investment and Cooperation with the Region in 1999 and President of the Board of the Foundation for Development of Vascular Surgery on 16 December 2003.
He continues his didactic activity, currently as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Collegium Mazovia – Innovative University in Siedlce.
He is a member of the World Association of Home Army Soldiers, Vice President of the General Board.
For outstanding achievements in scientific and didactic work, he was awarded the Commander's Cross with Star, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and the Golden Cross of Merit. In 2005, he was honoured with the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
fot. Marek Szymański