By Megan Conti Mica, MD

A classic choice in my daughters’ bedtime reading rotation is We’re different, We’re the same. It reviews how things that define us may seem different but in reality, they are the same. For example, our noses may look differently but all noses smell and help breathe air, so they are really the same. Its application goes beyond the simplified illustrations given in the book and very applicable when trying to understand why each member of the ASSH is unique but at the same time, very much the same.

We have different faiths but yet we all practice hand surgery. 

We speak different languages but yet we all have sworn the same Hippocratic oath.

We come from different backgrounds but yet we all have the same background needed to become a hand surgeon.

Hand surgery is more than a job, it is a career, a passion, a way of life. While the specifics of each individual journeys are different, it is yet so similar. 

It’s our differences that make us able to provide highly individualized patient care that covers our patients’ diverse needs. Yet we are all the same in striving to provide quality care that meets the same high standards. We should celebrate our differences as they make us stronger and respect each other as we are equal.

 A children’s book makes it seem so simple and perhaps it is. 

We are different but we are the same.