INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Missouri! The Missouri Chapter of the American College of Surgeons would like to assist you in setting up your practice in Missouri and to make it as easy as possible, whether you are a surgeon just beginning practice, or an established surgeon new to the state.

The idea of a Surgeon's "Survival Kit" came from the Ohio Chapter's Young Surgeon Committee. There are many specific problems common to newly established surgeons. This booklet is designed so it will be useful to many individuals, and to provide up-to-date information about local and state resources available to surgeons. It is not intended to replace, but to supplement, the manual Practice Management for the Young Surgeon, published by the American College of Surgeons (CD Marby and IL Kron, American College of Surgeons, 1995).

The Missouri Chapter is one of the most active state chapters of the American College of Surgeons. We have strong representation from both academic and private practice sectors. We realize that the continued success of this chapter is dependent on our ability to represent and assist Fellows, Associate Fellows, and Candidates members of the College working in Missouri. We hope this booklet will be very beneficial in beginning your practice in Missouri.

An application form for the Chapter is included in this manual.

We hope that this information will prove useful to you. Any suggestions or corrections would be welcome. Please address any correspondence to:

Best regards, and we look forward to meeting you in the near future.

The Young Surgeons Committee