Presidential Address: A Belated Obituary
November 2001
in “
Journal of Vascular Surgery
”
TLDR Vascular Surgery should become an independent discipline with its own board for a better future.
The document from 2001 discusses the necessity for establishing an independent American Board of Vascular Surgery due to the specialized nature of the field, particularly with the introduction of endovascular therapy. The author suggests shortening the training period to 2 or 3 years of General Surgery before focusing on Vascular Surgery. A questionnaire showed that 66% of 2247 Vascular Surgeons supported the creation of an independent board. The author criticizes the American Board of Surgery for not effectively representing Vascular Surgery's interests and for being too slow to adapt. The conclusion is that Vascular Surgery is a credible, distinct discipline with a bright future if it follows its own best practices, independent of a General Surgery board.
