The evolution of the emergency surgeon: the time has come!

The challenges now facing the trauma profession are unprecedented. Decreasing reimbursements, malpractice issues, the paucity of operative cases, the difficult work schedule and environment have contributed to fading interest in pursuing a career in trauma. With a steady decline in young surgeons choosing traumatology, a call for redefining the specialty is loudly reverberating throughout the profession. One option that is gaining broad support is to expand the coverage of the trauma surgeon to include all emergency surgical care, thus establishing a new specialist - the 'emergency surgeon'. Although there are no guarantees that widening the spectrum of the specialty will improve the overall financial status of the role, adoption of this new specialty concept will, undoubtedly, enhance the appeal of a dying profession.