By Frederick L. Greene, MD
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Over the last 25 years, it has been my tradition to offer a few New Year’s resolutions each January for our dedicated General Surgery News readers to ponder. Since 2020 has been very different from any experience in our collective lifetimes, I thought I would depart slightly from this tradition and instead offer “Expectations” for the new year. The following list, while certainly not exhaustive, represents a few of my hopes, anticipations, possibilities and, yes, expectations for 2021.

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In 2021, I expect:

  • There will be a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that is efficacious and safe.
  • Our hospitals will not have to cancel elective surgical cases due to a pandemic.
  • We will be able to attend our surgical organizational meetings in person.
  • We will see a return of decency and respect in our national politics.
  • The Boeing 737 Max will be safe to fly.
  • I will still have weekly Zoom calls with my college buddies.
  • Schools will be open for in-person learning for all students.
  • Wearing masks will still be necessary.
  • The important lessons learned from telehealth services will continue.
  • General surgeons might not have a 7% reduction in Medicare reimbursement.
  • Following science will be seen as vital for safe public health.
  • We will be able to attend live shows and concerts.
  • Hard lessons learned regarding racism and bigotry will not be forgotten.
  • We will be able to go to movie theaters safely.
  • Resident candidates won’t have to have virtual interviews.
  • MLB will have 162 regular-season games.

I am sure that many of you will come up with your own list of 2021 expectations, and we would enjoy reading them (khorty@mcmahonmed.com). I am also certain that we all have many reasons to be thankful during the past year despite the seemingly never-ending litany of public health and sociopolitical conundrums that we faced. There is no doubt that we all learned a great deal during this past year and will be even more resolute when future challenges ensue. Finally, as we manage our expectations for 2021, hopefully we will do it as a healthier, safer and more unified nation. Happy New Year!

Dr. Greene is a surgeon in Charlotte, N.C.

This article is from the January 2021 print issue.