Thirty to forty years ago, the field of general surgery was truly flourishing. General surgeons treated patients for an array of surgical conditions, as the concept of present day sub-specialties had yet to take hold. What has led to this significant shift in the focus of general surgery? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill welcomes Dr. Dana Christian Lynge, associate professor of surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and practicing general surgeon, to discuss the evolution of general surgery in the context of Dr. Lynge's research in the Archives of Surgery on the national shortage of general surgeons.