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procedures. Now I've got enough experts that we've been able to teach open radical prostatectomy in several countries and the local surgeons are able to get good results. We've been able to train them with
that. It is really satisfying and challenging. It is one of the things to which we're strongly committed, that is to help train the local surgeons so that they can continue even when we are no longer there.
F.N.: In 2020, you were the inaugural recipient of the “Joseph A. Smith, Jr. Mentorship Award” from the Society of Urologic Oncology, an award named after you to recognize your exceptional role in mentoring within the field of urologic oncology. How did it feel to receive such a high honor? In your view, what is the importance of mentorship in medicine, and especially in surgery?
Prof. Joseph A. Smith: Well, obviously it was a great honor and also surprising, because
I sometimes worried that I wasn’t a good mentor to my own faculty. As I said earlier, I tried to hire people who were “go getters” themselves and mostly I would just try to get out of their way. I always thought: ”You know, I should have more periodic meetings with them and checking on how are things going in their career or what are their concerns.” I didn’t do much of that. So, I thought that I was never a very good mentor. It was surprising when I actually got that award and it made me realize there are different types of mentorships. The classic way of doing it, where you really meet and get a lot of feedback with your mentees. This is a great way to do it. That’s not the way I did it. But having a mentor is also about having people that you can look up to and you follow them by example, people who are open to your own inquiry. That’s one thing that worked for my own faculty. If they wanted to come to me and they had questions or they had concerns or there was something I needed to do to help their career, I felt like I was very open to that and I would do anything I could. But as far as spontaneously going up to them and having a mentorship meeting once a
month, that’s not the way I did it, even though that’s what most of the books recommend. So yes, being a mentor is part of our responsibility. Seeking out mentors is something that should be a responsibility to ourselves, so that we can learn properly.
F.N.: This year, the American Urological Association honored you with the prestigious “Ramon Guiteras Award” as a tribute to your longstanding and remarkable contributions to the science of Urology. What did receiving this award mean to you?
Prof. Joseph A. Smith: It's a prestigious award because it is one that comes from our peers. It is considered to be the highest award given in our specialty. Also, it is believed that, at least according to the American Urological Association, once you receive that award, you're no longer eligible for any other ones. So, at least I guess that I'm done as far as any other awards. But obviously it's a great honor, primarily because it's an award that comes from my peers.
T.S.: You mentioned before that you have many friends who now live in Greece.
Prof. Joseph A. Smith: Not as many as I would like, but I do have friends in Greece, yes.
T.S.: Have you had the opportunity to visit Greece? If so, is there a particular place that left a lasting impression on you?
Prof. Joseph A. Smith: I have been to Greece several times. I haven't been for quite a while, so I'm actually overdue to come back there. My favorite place I would say was Delfoi. I thought it was beautiful up there, in the mountains. I love the history of it and all the mystical places that go with it. I had my son with me. He was about 16 at the time. I don't think he enjoyed it quite as much as I did, because in the narrow winding bus trip on the way back to Athens he got carsick. But I liked it. My favorite part of the trips that I've taken there was Delfoi. Also, I like the story of the Oracle Pythia and that Alexander the Great was coming to see her. All of that fascinated me. I want to plan again a trip to Greece. Maybe I will come to the next Hellenic Urological Association annual meeting.
Tεύχος 36 | Iούλιος - Αύγουστος 2025
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