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ΣΥΝΕΝΤΕΥΞΗ
Tεύχος 36 | Iούλιος - Αύγουστος 2025
Η ακόλουθη συνέντευξη πραγματοποιήθηκε μέσω Zoom. Απομαγνητοφώνηση & επιμέλεια κειμένου: Θεόδωρος Σπίνος, ειδικευόμενος Ουρολόγος & Φίλιππος Νικητάκης, μέλη συντακτικής ομάδας του Newsletter.
Theodoros Spinos (T.S.): What inspired your decision to pursue a career in Urology? Could you share which urologists have had the most significant influence on your professional development?
Prof. Joseph A. Smith: Well, my pathway is probably a little different than that of many people. When I finished medical school, I had no thoughts about Urology. Back then, you didn't make a decision about what your specialty would be until after a couple of years of surgical training. I knew I wanted to be a surgeon. I wanted to do whatever I thought was going to be the most difficult surgery. To be honest, I thought I would probably do cardiac surgery or neurosurgery or trauma. I got assigned to the Urology service, and I remember the very first day they did a cystectomy and it was a very difficult operation. It lasted many hours. They lost buckets of blood. I went home and thought: “That's the most difficult operation I've ever seen. I want to do urological cancer.” So, I made my decision. Then I did my Urology residency at the University of Utah, which at the time was not a very well-known program in the United States. It was in a beautiful area. I was very impressed with the Chairman, Dr. Richard Middleton. If I had to name the most influential urologist in my career, it would be Dr. Middleton. He was an excellent Urologist and an excellent surgeon, but far more important, he was a wonderful man. He was honest and interested in all of his residents and patients. I noticed from the beginning what kind of person he was, more so than what kind of surgeon he was.
Filippos Nikitakis (F.N.): Throughout your career, were there any experiences or turning points that might have led you to develop your expertise
in a different urological sub-specialty, such as pediatric Urology, urolithiasis management, or others, instead of urological oncology?
Prof. Joseph A. Smith: No, I don't think so. I just mentioned that I went into Urology, because I wanted to do urological cancer and that never changed. To be honest, I didn't really like a lot of the other sub-specialty areas of Urology. Of course, I had to complete them and then become adept at them. When I developed my Department, we very much worked to have a very multidisciplinary department. But my own interest was in urological cancer and that wasn't going to waver or change.
F.N.: While you served as Chairman of the Department of Urologic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Center became internationally recognized across
all subspecialties, with exceptional clinical outcomes and leadership. What was your mindset or your philosophy as Chairman that helped shape such a highly successful and respected Center?
Prof. Joseph A. Smith: I, to a fault almost, was interested in developing a surgical department. There are many very important parts of Urology outside the operating room. I understand that and we didn't ignore that. But my own interest was in the operating room and developing a department focused primarily on surgery. We created a bit of a monster. We became the highest volume surgical Urology practice in the
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