Paying It Forward in Medicine

In recent years, I have devoted more and more of my time, both in journal review and in continuing medical education courses, in order to provide the most up-to-date cosmetic services to my patients. I find that it is not difficult to be patient and compassionate to these patients, who are usually healthy, but may be quite anxious, about having something elective done to their faces and bodies. It gives me great satisfaction to help these patients, and this is why I have oriented my practice this way.

But a long time ago, during my fellowship in oculo-facial surgery and in my early years of private practice, I was heavily involved in doing extensive facial, orbital, and eyelid reconstructions for medical reasons such as birth defects, trauma, burns, and extensive cancers. This, too, at the time, I found quite gratifying.

In an effort to educate, and to inspire, young physicians, as well as to return to my earlier educational roots, I agreed to be the guest lecturer at All Children’s Hospital Grand Rounds on April 2, 2010. In the audience were medical students, residents, and attending physicians, from all over the Tampa Bay region. The topic of my lecture that day was Eyelid and Facial Reconstruction. For many, in the audience, it was their first exposure to the complicated repairs of the delicate eyelid and facial anatomy, required as a result of congenital deformities, or after trauma, burns or removal of skin cancers. Included in the talk were several interesting case studies and clinical data that I had published previously in peer-reviewed journals.

After the discussion, there was a lively question and answer period. Although it took quite a lot of work to pull together and organize the cases I used for my presentation, in the end, I discovered that I was glad to have done it. While I used to give lectures to medical audiences on a regular basis, since I have become so busy in my practice, it had been some years since my last one. I found that I enjoyed passing along the wisdom I learned from those who taught me. In addition, I added my own “pearls” gleamed from my many years of experience and thousands of surgical cases from my clinical practice. I believe that the time I spent both in preparation and giving the lecture was well spent because of the gratification I experienced in “giving back” to the next generation of physicians.

Sincerely,
Lawrence Kass M.D.