New Membership
Membership in the Texas Surgical Society is by invitation, and the path to election follows a tradition that dates to the Society’s founding in 1915.
Prospective candidates must first attend one or more Society meetings as the guest of a member. The candidate’s sponsor then begins the application process by contacting the Secretary, Dr. J. Patrick Walker, who guides the candidate and sponsors through each step.
Each candidate is nominated and endorsed by three Fellows of the Society. Once the application is complete, Council reviews it and, if favorable, places the nominee on the ballot. New members are then elected by vote of the general membership.
The Society’s original standards for membership were described in the Texas Medical Journal in 1915. Read the original announcement: Texas Medical Journal, 1915 (PDF)
A recurring theme of the Society echoes the enduring challenge of our field: that although every surgeon is given extraordinary responsibility and power, the nuanced traits of the elite surgeon—dexterity, courage, humility, compassion, judgment, respect for colleagues and capacity for self-appraisal—are not equally dispersed, nor measured on standard exams, nor reflected in numbers of publications. It is these men and women that the Texas Surgical Society sought in 1915, and seeks today.
Mac Sykes, Archivist
I submit that it offers the opportunity to be involved in a surgical organization based on character. Scientific and technical excellence are important in our society, but they are important in all societies. Texas Surgical Society is unique in the emphasis that it places on surgical judgment, honesty, and character. These qualities cannot be taught in the same way that a new technique is taught. They must be demonstrated, cultivated, and practiced. It is easier to develop them in ourselves if we surround ourselves with individuals who model them for us in a powerful way. It is a tonic for our spirits and a source of renewed energy to have surgeons to admire. With so much competition for our time, we must discipline ourselves to spend some of it in an environment that allows us to focus on relationships based on integrity and develop friendships that reinforce our feelings of self-worth.