On the other side of the door.

My friends, I would like to thank you, the members and guests of the Western Trauma Association (WTA), for the great honor of serving as your president over the past year . This experience has been so very special to me in large part because I believe the WTA is such an outstanding organization. Our group, founded some 33 years ago, has thrived under the principles of collegiality, diversity, fellowship, and scientific endeavor. The WTA has matured from a small fledgling group, with its first Colorado meeting in the early 70’s, into the formidable organization that it is today. It has been a great pleasure to witness this transformation over the years. For me, our meeting has a wonderful aura about it. There is, and I think many of you would agree, something unique here. In many ways it is difficult to define, and yet it is crystal clear in my mind that our meeting, our organization, is special. For some, perhaps it is the western-style relaxation and casualness of our gathering. For others it might be the freewheeling scientific sessions or perhaps the diversity of our membership. I’m sure we all have our reasons for coming year after year. I can tell you that for me, it’s about the friendships and the great relationships that I’ve made within this organization over the years. For me it’s the fact that our meeting is a yearly punctuation point in my life; something I can look forward to, something I can count on. Our meeting is a time when I can be with you, my friends and colleagues, away from our usual lives, to congregate in an incredibly beautiful setting, share some excellent science, catch up on old friendships, and most importantly, develop new ones. For me, it is also about being in the mountains. I have always loved the mountains; their serenity, their beauty. Perhaps that is why I settled my family in Montana. Being in the mountains allows me to gain perspective on my life. From the top of a mountain I feel appropriately small and at the same time closer to a higher power. In the mountains, I always feel part of something much bigger than myself. For me, it is also about our group’s emphasis on family. In many ways my kids grew up coming to this meeting, learning to ski, making friends that they continue to keep to this day and I’m sure they will treasure for years to come. My mom likes to say that in the end all you have is your family, your friends, and your memories. Well, many of my fondest memories come from the annals of WTA meetings I’ve attended over the years. So to be president of an organization that I cherish so much will always be among my greatest honors, and for that I can’t thank you enough. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome you all to Snowbird. Snowbird has been a very special venue for this organization. We have met here six times now; more than at any other locale. Our group’s first Snowbird meeting was in 1980. That year, Dr. Gene Moore gathered a group of aspiring young surgeons to attend. We paid an astonishing $19.00 for one-way airfare on Frontier Airlines from Denver for a week of science and skiing. It was one of my earliest forays to a mountain resort, and for most of us, it was our first scientific meeting. When we arrived here, our enthusiasm was palpable. Excitement was high. To say, however, that we were not welcomed with open arms would certainly not be hyperbole. In fact, the young WTA really did not know what to make or do with residents. Now, attending the WTA’s annual meeting in the very same location nearly a quarter Submitted for publication October 31, 2003. Accepted for publication October 31, 2003. Copyright © 2003 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. From the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Deaconess Billings Clinic, Billings, Montana. Presidential address presented at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Western Trauma Association, February 23-28, 2003, Snowbird, Utah. Address for reprints: J. Scott Millikan, MD, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Deaconess Billings Clinic, PO BOX 37000, 2825 8th Avenue North, Billings, MT 59105; email: smillikan@billingclinic.org.