What does this award mean to me? Total surprise and humility. The only other citations I have ever received are speeding tickets or warnings by a traffic police officer! LOL!

There are giants in urology who have received this Presidential Citation in the past. We all stand on the shoulders of those people. Our mentors. Out of wisdom, comes mindfulness. Out of mindfulness comes mentorship. Giving forward. What am I doing here?! We all should strive to become great in our fields/little worlds, but not to have expectations of glory. Ambition is a double-edged sword, and we all need to check our egos at the door when we think about that. What are we ambitious for? Money, fame, power, glory, self-satisfaction, respect? Maybe for some it is just a mountain that needs to be overcome so we can stand on the top and say we did it, or you reached the top (of your field or in life). However, when you reach the top, there may be nowhere else to aim for with that attitude. For me and for many others it is selfless service, to make a difference for your fellow humans and to take care of each other. Sometimes that requires stepping up to the plate to try to lead, or a better phrase, to try to bring the best out in people and watch them grow to their potential, but to be inclusive of thought. So many good, smart people have great ideas that make us all better. That mountain is an endless mountain and always striving to give more. As you reflect at times like this, you pinch yourself and ask yourself how did I get here? As I talk to medical students and undergraduates about careers in medicine, you realize that we choose a career because of interest, passion, curiosity, and many times due to ability, luck, circumstance, enthusiastic mentors, and frankly, necessity to survive. That ability can be genetic, nurtured, brainwashed, achieved through tenacity and resilience. Ask any professional sports player and they will agree. Medicine/surgery feels very similar at times. The strive for perfection can be exhausting, self-deprecating and tormenting. How do you define loving a career like you love a human being?

My journey to urology happened by circumstance, wanting to be at the teaching hospital for a top vascular surgery internship in London that was attached to urology coverage. There I found some happy urologists and great mentors. That was the beginning. I was fortunate enough to work with Bob Weiss at Yale. I was lucky to match in urology residency in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a foreign graduate, thanks to the vision and trust of Dr Thomas Hakala. While in residency, my wife and I struggled to have children. That led me to being exposed to the world of infertility through my training. I took an AUA postgraduate course during residency, before considering andrology for fellowship. That is when I first met Dr Andy Meacham, the current president of the AUA and a mentor of mine for over 25 years. He is single-handedly the reason I chose this field. I had a fellowship director, Dr Tony Thomas, who became a role model for integrity and ethics that I wanted to emulate. I had found my passion and my vocation. Caring for others, mentorship, research to answer practical questions, was a fundamental mission. Staying grounded and humble like my mentors. Remembering that I was only as good as my next patient or project, along with some life lessons, got me to strive without expectations. Then you turn around one day, and you ask yourself if you make a difference? Is what you do important or valuable? Without expectations, just quiet humility and goodness, are you valued? Matt Damon as the James Ryan character in Saving Private Ryan or Saving Ryan’s Privates, as I like to say (andrology joke), leans down at the grave of Captain Miller (Tom Hanks), the man who died saving Ryan, and says, “Every day I think about what you said to me (on that bridge).” [Captain Miller told Ryan to “earn it,” meaning his life]. Ryan goes on to say, “I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope at least in your eyes, I have earned what all of you have done for me.” Ryan turns to his wife and asks, “Tell me I have led a good life. Tell me I’m a good man.” So many had sacrificed for him to live and succeed. That is how I feel every day.

Everyone is valued and deserves to be loved. That is what matters most. No one strives for the mountaintop alone. No one can actually get there alone. Some pull you up, others push you up, and many stand beside you in the light, but most importantly, in the dark. All my friends, family, work partners, organizations, nurses, advanced practice providers, allied health professionals, and patients are right there next to me. There are so many others more deserving. With the AUA leadership course and Dr Lacy (RIP) as my mentor, Brant Thrasher as my chair at University of Kansas Medical Center, and Drs Meacham and Larry Ross as professional and life mentors, I’ve had the pleasure of guidance from giants—AUA presidents. When we hear words like moral jeopardy, burnout, and well-being, they have to mean something. Well-being is when we take care of each other!

With such support, selfless service becomes easy. We do it out of passion, vocation, and pure love, unconditional love. Without that, the world would have swallowed us up. That is my guiding force. Through all the committee work, all the chair positions, and all the presidencies I have been honored to hold, and to serve, there’s no greater good than giving forward. With my research, I’ve had the pleasure of publishing everything from testosterone testing to access to care in AUA publications. I’ve always believed in fundamentals. First gather facts, find the evidence if not available, and then try to make a change including health policy. Nothing can be done without the true evidence and facts. Scientific process and critical thinking! Emotional intelligence. Change the things you can change, accept the things you cannot, but know the difference (Serenity Prayer). Also, vision and commitment can create reality. For me, Mother Teresa said it best: “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

I end with these thoughts. Thank you, gratitude, humility, resolve, and love. We all matter. We all make a difference. Thank you to all of YOU, for what you do in urology and life. You never know what a kind word or action leads to! Pass it forward.