Part I - Nine Thousand Surgeons Summary and Analysis

In this chapter, Gawande describes his experience at a professional convention for surgeons. Although initially he is not sure why people attend such events, his experience brings him much insight to the popularity and prestige of medical conventions.

The convention includes approximately 9000 surgeons from across the country. There are 88 pages of scheduled events during the week-long conference. Gawande attends a panel on hernia treatments and watches video of complicated and rare operations. He quickly realizes that the convention is as much an educational gathering as much as it is a marketplace. There are free dinners from drug and medical device companies and more than 5300 salespeople on hand for the "technical exhibit" hall, a large space lined with booths selling surgical devices. Gawande marvels at the ability of six-figure surgeons to covet...