LAUSR

I FIRST WANT TO THANK Dr Douglas Fraker for that warm introduction and for his service as vice president this year. I also want to thank all of you, the members of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES), for that warm reception and for granting me the privilege of being your president this year. As I contemplated what I was going to speak to you about today, it struck me that what is become increasingly important to me is that the surgeon-investigator, or the surgeon-scientist, is at increasing risk of extinction. We often talk about animals that are on the verge of extinction, and I think our phenotype as surgeon-investigators is, to some degree, under siege. I am often asked by my own residents and fellows, and certainly the residents and fellows within our association, how can I, if I am interested in conducting research and performing investigations, how can I do that in the current environment if I want to be an operating surgeon? How can I balance science and clinical medicine if I want to have a productive surgical career? I am not going to pretend that I have all the answers, but I want to talk a bit about it in the context of my own experiences.