May 7, 2018, 17:50 PM by User Not Found

I remember the first meeting of the ASTS I attended when I was a surgery resident at the University of Minnesota. The meeting was still in the grand ballroom in the Drake Hotel in Chicago, and all the “greats” of transplant were in one room – discussing triple immunosuppression regimens that included the new agent Cyclosporine. The robust discussions/arguments between the Starzl and Najarian teams were so awesome – and I immediately knew that I wanted to join the fun and excitement of a field that was still evolving. There is no question that the ASTS has captured the spirit of this exciting era of transplantation – and remained the anchor for the relatively small community of transplant surgeons.

Over the years, the ASTS has provided the rich environment necessary to keep current in a rapidly evolving field. But more importantly, it has fostered the development of great friends who enjoy giving each other a hard time! Seriously, the rich network of lifelong friends and colleagues that I have made through the ASTS has been a highlight of my career.

So, why donate to the ASTS Foundation? The answer is simple: time to “pay it forward.” I have been so privileged to be given the opportunity to be part of this Society, and I have never forgotten the generous ASTS-Sandoz Fellowship grant that helped kickstart my academic career. I look at the statue of that chimera on the fellowship plaque with pride every day, and it reminds me that I need to help support the next generation of transplant surgeons.

Besides, I have to catch up to the contributions by Tom Peters – you know how competitive transplant surgeons are! Kim and Maggie, the check for next year is in the mail!