We all learn from complex cases, but one that marked me the most at the beginning of my professional career, and I still use it in training talks for residents and junior assistants, entitled as "When I wanted to do less, I had to do more", was when I learned that the sagittal profile is REALLY IMPORTANT and that you have to be extremely selective in the selection of levels of surgery in the elderly patient so that it does not become complicated.

When my mentor, Dr. Hani Mahidli, offered me a job in the Spine Unit during my final year of residency, he said something like, "Do you want to dedicate yourself to pediatric pathology and pediatric spine surgery occasionally, or... choose the winning horse and dedicate yourself to spine surgery for real?" Those words left a lasting impression on me.

My best memory of NASS was when NASS accepted my first two presentations and I had the opportunity to test my knowledge at a global event back in 2015. I had the opportunity to attend the congress in Chicago, and not only did I enjoy the city, but I was also able to take my company, a workers' compensation mutual insurance company, to the highest level it has ever reached internationally.

My first time reviewing posters. I never thought I could do it, given the strict deadlines, scoring, and volume requirements. It's quite a responsibility to be able to give a chance to all those who, like me, were once in that position.

Perhaps something that, while I don't think it's rare, isn't common either. Most surgeons manage stress with activities that involve physical exertion, which helps reduce its intensity. In my case, it's the opposite: the more stressed I am, the more I seek out activities that allow me to focus on a single goal or action. I do model making and software programming at an amateur level; that's perhaps something not all doctors do.