Figure 1. Dr Sergio Guzmán, Chile.

1. Why Did You Choose Urology?

My father was a professor of gastrointestinal surgery. I didn’t want to do the same, but really liked big operations and the possibility of curing someone through a “beautiful” procedure.

Urology had really “beautiful procedures” in the 1990s… even before the minimally invasive era… And most of the patients were cured.

How not to be a urologist (Figure 1)?

2. What Was the Best Advice You Received as a Resident/Trainee?

My deceased teacher of the resident years, Dr Carlos Martinez (Figure 2), who was a great surgeon, taught me:

Figure 2. Professor Dr Carlos Martínez Sanz, chief of urology in the P. Universidad Católica de Chile during my training.

“Pay attention to anatomic planes, crucial for effective surgery. And really pay attention to the patient, crucial for professional success.”

Both are central to my professional life… understanding anatomy, and trying to understand people, their fears, and insecurities. The combination of both visions has helped to heal more patients than the sole technical ability.

3. If You Were Not a Urologist, What Would You Be?

I really think I could be many things; I could find happiness in many professions for sure, but talking about medicine, then I would go for a completely different area in the medical world.

Probably psychiatry would have been my choice. My grandmother was a psychoanalyst, and she always seemed very wise to me (Figure 3). It may be the fantasy of mixing patient care with cultural knowledge, trying to understand the mind, even though it’s probably impossible.

Figure 3. Dr Erika Bondiek, my psychoanalyst grandmother, an example of humanism and medical knowledge.

But I would have missed surgery and the feeling that one is really helping others with one’s own hands, or the robot’s.

4. What Do You See as the Biggest Clinical Challenge in Urology Today? What Is the Biggest Opportunity?

I think today’s biggest clinical challenge is the fact that patients understand much more of what is happening to them; and we have to learn as physicians to take their knowledge as part of our medical treatment, forgetting the supposedly superior doctoral position and coming closer to them.

As an opportunity, I clearly see all these advantages of artificial intelligence aiding our praxis: better diagnostics and better pathology with all the knowledge of the big data.

If we manage to keep up, we will have the opportunity to do what we are supposed to do, that is, comforting our patients and practicing better surgery, and giving better medical treatments.

5. It’s the Year 2030–What Do You Think Will Be the Biggest Change/Innovation in Urology?

Its only 7 years in the future… almost here…

I can see a completely different approach to urological oncology. Much more genetic knowledge and therefore tailoring of treatments instead of blind protocols. Lots more decision sharing with the patient and better follow-up standards.

I can see automatic biopsies, or X-ray analysis, giving better diagnosis and management opinions for all patients regardless of the place we are at in the world.

In my area of robotic surgery and oncology, probably we will be seeing better machines… not yet fully automatic, but working in that direction.

The AUA is proud to work with partner societies around the world to advance urology. This column spotlights members from our International Member Committee (IMC) and showcases their unique perspectives on the specialty.