Good and Great Surgeons

Hopkins has the world's top surgeons. The most brilliant minds come together at this academic center and have made incredible advancements in just about every aspect of medicine. Everyday I am in awe of the genius that surrounds me. I am star struck when I ride the elevator with Dr. John Cameron or his son Andy who literally are the men who "wrote the book" of Surgery.

My own personal signed copy

I am currently on Eckhauser GI service and Dr Eckhauser is an AMAZING surgeon. I heard that after Dr. Cameron he has done the most Whipple procedures at Hopkins. But my question is What makes a great surgeon from a good surgeon? I think that a good surgeon would know this text book by heart and would be able to preform surgeries flawlessly with zero infection rate. A great surgeon picks up the mop and starts wiping down the floor to get the OR room changed over for their next case because that is what the patient needs at that time. Their focus is all on the patient not the procedure. Today I saw that I am working with a great surgeon.