James Whiting, MD

As we emerge from Winter here in New England (as the author Bill Bryson has said, we have 3 seasons here: Winter’s Been, Winter’s Coming and Winter), many of us seem to be struggling to understand how our world has been changed from the 2 year onslaught of cultural and workplace changes that Covid has either caused or catalyzed. Even as the masks fall on the airlines and in grocery stores, and as supply chains start to inch back towards normal in the outside world, we are all reminded of the presence of this virus every time we step inside our hospitals, and I ask myself every day what changes are permanent and what ones are not. The New England Surgical Society is no different in this respect. Research Day this year will be virtual, not because we couldn’t hold it in person, but because we felt that the event would lend itself to the virtual format and whatever was lost by not being in person would be more than made up by the advantages of virtual. Our executive committee will likewise be meeting virtually and I think it’s safe to say that the old fashioned conference call is a goner, probably deservedly. As we make these transitions, it is incumbent on us to try and preserve the aspects of our institutions and activities that we value most. At least for me, when I consider the New England Surgical Society, that aspect is the friendships and network of surgeons that I’ve come to know over the years and now consider friends as well as colleagues. It’s why we felt so strongly about getting back to an in-person annual meeting last year, and why we are so looking forward to this year’s meeting in Boston. If this pandemic has taught us anything, I hope it’s helped us all value those relationships and has prevented us from taking them for granted. Hope to see you soon! (virtually or in person).

Sincerely,
James Whiting, MD