Reverence for the Past Will Often Ensure the Success of the Future

Abstract

In many presidential messages, one typically likes to fondly remember those individuals who were inspired you and helped build your individual career. It is important to have reverence for them. Typically, it comes from a specific chapter and time in one's life. In medical school, Louis RM DelGuercio, MD, chairman of surgery at New York Medical College, was a tremendous inspiration to me in pursuing a career in surgery. A master surgeon in all body cavities, he exemplified the surgeon's surgeon. He was an early pioneer in the importance of optimizing patients physiologically before surgery, and above all, through all of his achievements, was a true family man. Next was general surgery training at Yale, and there were truly so many individuals who helped me shape my clinical and academic career. These included, but are not limited to,

Crisis Containment: Tools for Harm Mitigation in Surgery

“…Managing the startle response. The surgical professions has always shown deep respect for surgeons who demonstrate "a cool head" and "grace under fire" 28 . Nevertheless, these have been seen as intrinsic attributes, rather than skills that can be trained and developed.…”