By David C. Kim, MD, FACS

I sincerely believe that medicine is one of the most noble professions known to mankind. For me, this ideal has not wavered since enrolling in medical school three decades ago.

Admittedly, I’ve been quite fortunate. My career has enabled me to treat patients and to meet surgeons across the world from Africa to North Korea. While circumstances and conditions vary with each country, there is one universal, fundamental attribute I have observed among hand surgeons: dedication.

Despite limited resources, and in some cases squalor, each hand surgeon I meet abroad provides the best care possible to the best of their abilities. Their dedication to nurture and to learn for the betterment of someone in need is beyond beyond. There are no secondary gains: no recognition, no awards, and no monetary incentives. This observed purity is a constant reinforcement that the nobility of medicine is not an ideal but a true palpable and observable actuality.

Few, if any, professions demand years of personal sacrifices in order to care for the ill, injured, or those who suffer from an unfortunate condition. To that end, I hope all physicians embrace this principle and continue to extend a hand, especially our brethren.