Dr. Cookson then went on to introduce the inaugural recipient of the Joseph A. Smith, Jr. Mentoring Award – Dr. Joseph “Jay” Smith, Jr. This award will subsequently be given annually at the SUO winter meeting to recipients that embody all that entails being an exceptional mentor in the field of urologic oncology.
Dr. Cookson highlighted several of Dr. Smith’s recognitions, honors, and accomplishments. For national and international leadership roles, Dr. Smith has been:
- Chair, Bladder Cancer Section, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)
- Chair, Publications Committee, American Urological Association (AUA)
- Chair, Residency Review Committee
- President, American Board of Urology
- President, Southeastern Section of the AUA
- President, Society of Urologic Oncology
- Editor, Journal of Urology
With regards to national and international awards:
- AUA Distinguished Contribution Award
- AUA Hugh Hampton Award
- SUO Higgins Medal
- British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) St. Paul Medal
- Société Internationale d'Urologie (SIU) Albert Schweitzer Award
- New York Academy of Medicine Valentine Medal
- SUO Whitmore Lecturer
Dr. Smith started his lecture by noting that Mentor was from Homer’s The Odyssey, caring for Telemachus, Odysseus’ son while he was away for 20 years. The business school definition of a mentor is: “[Mentoring] is a collaborative learning relationship where both parties share mutual responsibility and accountability. The goal is to help the mentee work towards the fulfillment of clear and agreed-upon goals. This happens through a series of time-limited, confidential, one-on-one conversations, and other learning activities with a mentor.” However, despite three decades of dedicated research, there is still no convergence on a unifying definition of mentoring, which is expected given the diversity of relationships that can be classified as mentoring.
There may be several motivations of a mentor, according to Dr. Smith, including:
- Developing a network of acolytes
- Professional responsibility
- Satisfaction in helping develop the career of others
- Academic recognition
- Reflected acclaim for accomplishments
Dr. Smith’s first and arguably most important mentor was Dr. Richard G. Middleton who was his Chief of Urology from 1968-2004 at the University of Utah. Dr. Smith told a story about Dr. Middleton that summed up his character and mentorship: Dr. Smith had written a paper about neodymium:YAG laser irradiation of bladder hemangiomas, a paper that Dr. Middleton had revised several times for him. While Dr. Middleton was originally on the manuscript in the initial edits, Dr. Smith noticed on the final edition that Dr. Middleton’s name was no longer on the manuscript. When Dr. Smith asked Dr. Middleton why he took his name off, Dr. Middleton thought that his name being on the paper may detract from the recognition Dr. Smith deserved for the time and effort he put into the paper. Dr. Middleton taught Dr. Smith the meaning of “mudita” – a Buddhist concept of pleasure that comes from others' well-being or good fortune; a joy unadulterated by self-interest.
Dr. Smith’s second mentor was Dr. Willet F. Whitmore, Jr., father of urologic oncology and long-term chair and fellowship director of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Genitourinary Oncology program. Dr. Smith said Dr. Whitmore didn’t talk to him much during his fellowship, but he always remembered their mutual fondness for catching snakes, a story they shared again weeks before Dr. Whitmore’s death in 1995. From these experiences with Dr. Whitmore, Dr. Smith continued to refine his definition of a mentor to include a trusted counselor or guide, usually older with more experience and with expertise in the field, as well as someone who is a positive guiding influence in another person’s life.
Additional mentors Dr. Smith mentioned included Muhammad Ali, a person that he met several times and got to know quite well. One of Dr. Smith’s favorite quotes of Muhammad Ali’s is, “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
Dr. Denis Mukwege, the recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, has also been a mentor to Dr. Smith, as well as a surgical colleague of Dr. Smith’s on his many trips to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to assist Dr. Mukwege in his operating room helping women suffering from severe genital mutilation. The late Dr. Martin Resnick was also a mentor and close friend of Dr. Smith’s; the 3rd Edition of Hinman’s Atlas of Urologic Surgery was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Resnick, someone who had asked Dr. Smith to contribute a chapter before his death (as Dr. Smith eventually became one of the editors).
Dr. Smith has always lived his life treating others with respect and dignity, regardless of their race, wealth, religion, etc. This is something he has tried to instill in his mentees. Dr. Smith concluded his presentation with a beautiful tribute to his family, namely his wife and son who he highlights have been crucial mentors in his life.
Presented by: Joseph A. Smith, Jr., MD, William L. Bray Chair, Professor Urology, Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
Written by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, Twitter: @zklaassen_md at the 2020 Society of Urologic Oncology Annual Meeting – December 2-5, 2020 – Washington, DC