This is one of the proudest moments of my life, and I want to thank those who have made it possible for me to be the recipient of the George Armstrong Award. I congratulate the officers and members of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association for their efforts in making the association a leading voice in american pediatrics. I wish briefly to acknowledge my great debt to Dr Grover Powers and Dr Edith Jackson, my teachers at New Haven, Conn, to Dr Waldo Nelson, a stern taskmaster in my early years in academic life, and to Dr Donal Dunphy, my partner in practice, and Dr Joseph B. Bilderback of Oregon, my role models for the complete pediatrician.
I have chosen this title because I believe it is imperative that from time to time each medical specialty undertakes a critical self-assessment to determine how well it is achieving its prime objective, namely, meeting