“The veterinarian I worked with took me aside one day and said, ‘You really should become a doctor instead of a veterinarian, because there’s only two species to deal with.’ And I said, ‘What would they be?’ And he said, ‘Men and women.’” – Dr. Alan Partin
Why I chose to go into medicine is somewhat humorous. I grew up in Mississippi and spent every summer, every Saturday, working with a veterinarian in a large-animal practice, with lots of horses and cows. When I went off to college, I even started in a pre-veterinary medicine program. The veterinarian I worked with took me aside one day and said, “You really should become a doctor instead of a veterinarian, because there’s only two species to deal with.” And I said, “What would that be?” And he said, “Men and women.” He said, “There are too many animals.” So I decided to become a physician instead and I went on to medical school. Why I chose urology is very simple: I met a mentor of mine named Don Coffey, who was the director of research in urology at Johns Hopkins, and from that moment on it was the specialty for me.
I think we’ve all been amazed at the change in the way education takes place and the way information is transferred, just within the last two decades. Studies now show that the average physician spends about 15 minutes a week trying to educate him or herself. So, we’ve changed the way this book comes out, with updates, videos, and with concise descriptions within the chapters, so that we can continue to stay with the trends.
I think it’s a great tribute to Dr. Walsh’s work on the book for over 25 years that his name became associated with Campbell’s Urology. Now it’s Campbell-Walsh Urology. I think we all owe him a great debt of gratitude for getting us involved in this book.
Biography
A renowned researcher and practitioner, Alan W. Partin, MD, PhD is a professor of urology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution and is the director of the Brady Urological Institute. His surgical and clinical interests include the development and testing of new and existing methods for predicting the aggressiveness of prostate cancers. He is an editor of the tenth edition of Campbell-Walsh Urology and Campbell-Walsh Urology 10th Edition Review.
Dr. Partin earned a dual MD/PhD at Johns Hopkins, where he also completed residencies in surgery and urology. He is board-certified in urology, is widely recognized as an expert in the field, and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top doctor.
Related Authors: Alan J. Wein, MD, PhD (Hon); Louis R. Kavoussi, MD; Craig A. Peters, MD, FACS, FAAP
