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As my year as chief resident came to a close, we neared the annual dinner given in our honor, and I pondered what speech I would give the audience. Rather than remark on a subject interesting and current to general surgery, I acknowledged the persons without whom I would have surely failed. I thanked my parents for their endless support throughout years of education, my wife for her interminable love and success in rearing four children in my absence, and my department chairman and professors for taking the time and energy to help develop my clinical judgment and surgical skill. I believed I did not have the time to give the audience my perspective on our field.
In this editorial, I can take some time to comment on my perspective on general surgery. I specifically discuss a topic that struck me as critical during my residency: the constant change in