By Carlos F. Morales Hackett, MD

Young colleagues, whatever you do, wherever you do it, do it with passion. You will see that if you do things with passion, all of those difficult situations during the surgeries, the mistakes, and life itself will be easier to carry.

And run! Do cycling, play tennis, make sculptures, go to the theater, travel—do not let that “fever” to work and operate consume you and take time take away from those things and even more important things, like your sons and daughters, wife or husband and friends. In the end, those are the people and the memories that really count. And with your patients, although I know it sometimes seems impossible, please LISTEN TO THEM! Those 5 extra seconds are worth more than a last-generation MRI and will give much more information. Most importantly, take 5 seconds to HEAL.

We have, for sure, the most beautiful work all the world around. Unfortunately, a lot of times we become gods. I see it all the time: in wrong indications, complications, complaints from my patients. So we must remain level-headed in order to be able of understand really what is wrong in our patients, our surgeries, and our lives.

I wish only the best in the world for you and encourage you to keep that your youthful spirit and try to mix it very subtly with a little of “FIVE SECONDS OF PASSION.”