Following completion of my Vascular Surgery Residency at New England Medical Center (Tufts Univ Sch of Med), I was offered a position as Assistant Professor of Surgery and Associate Surgeon in the Vascular Surgery Section at New England Medical Center. This allowed me the opportunity to further hone my skills as a Vascular Surgeon in an Academic Center that dealt with complex Vascular Surgery problems prior to my return to Puerto Rico. Upon my return to the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, I received an appointment as an Associate Professor of Surgery and was given the task of developing a Vascular Surgery Section, which did not exist at the time. The last twenty-eight years have proven to be both a challenge as well as a delight–as I have had the opportunity to treat the whole spectrum of Vascular Surgery conditions, as well as helped motivate a group of young surgeons to seek Vascular Surgery training, and to return to Puerto Rico to bring much needed manpower and new skills to manage challenging Vascular Problems. I was appointed Professor of Surgery in 2004 and have had the opportunity to serve the Medical School in many capacities, including most recently Dean of the Faculty. I hope to be able to continue to pursue my passion of Academic Surgery–helping both to heal patients, and to educate students and residents in the exciting and developing field of Vascular Surgery.