Future editions will be revised and expanded as our resident members indicate a need. We would appreciate your comments, suggestions and contributions. Without his generous help, this book would not have been possible. I would also like to thank those residents and AWS members who took the time to write chapters, review the initial drafts, and send their comments. The book is considerably better for their suggestions and input.
Introduction Welcome to the world of surgery.
You are about to embark upon the most exciting, challenging, stressful and yet rewarding years of your life. Surgery residency is a period of intense education that requires a depth of commitment found in few other endeavors. Technical skills and an immense body of knowledge must be mastered thoroughly in order to develop the judgment, decisiveness, and confidence required to be a competent surgeon. Women face unique challenges during surgical training. Hard work and common sense are essential.