AAP and America: Inclusive, Embracing, and Nurturing Community.

Abstract

This 40th anniversary of Pediatrics in Review (PIR) gave me an opportunity to reflect on 1979, the year the first issue of PIR was published. From the time of its first issue, PIR’s core mission has been the education of pediatricians. I reflected on where I was in 1979. A young man finishing middle school in the war-torn country of Lebanon in the midst of a brutal civil war, a war that came like a plague infesting this beautiful place that was called “the Switzerland of the Middle East.” I clearly recall several years later going through medical school at the American University of Beirut, studying in candlelit shelters, taking exams with shelling in the background, and crossing the demarcation lines between east and west Beirut. Early on I knew that pediatrics was my specialty calling. I vividly remember using PIR as my reference journal as a medical student on the pediatric clerkship. I never imagined that one day, many years later, I would be part of this great educational journal and its mission, participating first hand in the making of the various issues, the continuing medical education questions, and its 40th anniversary celebration.My journey to America started right after medical school. America welcomed me as a recent graduate coming to complete my pediatric residency during times of turmoil in Lebanon. This was not something new for this great country. My grandfather sailed for 3 months with his mother from Lebanon to America to study medicine in this great country. He completed his medical degree in 1912 from Boston University, returned to Lebanon to practice medicine, and lived through World War I and World War II. It is no surprise to me that America has a long-standing tradition of welcoming people from all walks of life seeking a better education, refuge from dangerous war situations, or simply to improve their opportunities and achieve their full potential. America is the land of opportunities, where anything is possible.During and after my residency, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was and continues to be my professional home. And, similar to America, the AAP (and its various sections, councils, and activities) is the model of inclusivity and diversity that shaped my professional trajectory. I am thankful for all the opportunities that I had and continue to have at the AAP in general, and at PIR in particular. I am grateful for the mentors I interacted (and continue to interact) with, and for the great honor and privilege of being part of PIR and its 40th anniversary celebration. PIR is an inclusive journal with an international presence spreading knowledge across the globe in many languages. PIR continues to be my main “go to” reference for my pediatric education.