General surgery as a foundation: How to build successful careers in (endocrine) surgery: Presidential Address

Abstract

ENDOCRINE SURGERY IS A RELATIVELY RECENT AREA OF FOCUS WITHIN GENERAL SURGERY. The American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) and its international companion, the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons, are less than 4 decades old. They developed as gathering places for surgeons interested in diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, and adrenal glands. There were forerunners, such as the American Thyroid Association and The Endocrine Society, but the establishment and nurturing of the AAES in particular helped to crystallize the concept of the surgeon expert in the management of diseases in these organs. Over time, the AAES has developed into a robust specialty society. Our group was established mainly to organize an annual meeting of the members but has diversified into accrediting training programs, publishing position statements and guidelines, providing seed funding for research enterprises, and maintaining a quality improvement data platform. Many of our most respected members have developed clinical skills and reputations that have resulted in practices that contain exclusively endocrine surgery. These members have advanced our field substantially both in