Welcome to the Core Clerkship in Surgery at Brown University. Surgery is an exciting and challenging specialty, which encompasses a wide range of basic science and clinical practice. Over the next eight weeks you will be involved in a variety of clinical scenarios and learning opportunities designed to enhance your knowledge and skills. You will interact with patients and their families in all aspects of surgical care (hospital wards, outpatient clinics, operating room, emergency department, intensive care unit, etc.) You will be part of a team of highly qualified physicians and other health care professionals, whose goals are to cure whenever possible, to improve quality of life, to alleviate suffering, and to offer reassurance and comfort to patients and their families. You will find good role models in the Brown surgical faculty and residents, not only in the areas of surgical skill and clinical competence, but also in the ability to provide ethical and compassionate care. A number of scheduled educational activities have been especially designed and structured for you. You should read a surgical textbook throughout the duration of the clerkship, as well as The Manual of Surgical Objectives. A competency-based curriculum, with emphasis on clinical problem solving, must rely on the student's ability and self-discipline to maintain a program of personal and professional growth and lifelong learning. A solid knowledge base and active participation are necessary for success in interactive learning opportunities. Exposure to a variety of clinical situations will provide you with an opportunity to evaluate General Surgery and the other surgical subspecialties as potential future career choices. A good surgeon is a good doctor who can also operate. With that in mind, a certain energy level is required to function intellectually and physically during the long hours that most surgical disciplines require. But time will literally fly if you approach the science and practice of surgery with intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm. Once again, welcome to a demanding but rewarding experience that should greatly enhance your development as a physician.