Miguel Pera is ESCP President and Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery, Hospital Clínic in Barcelona.
Name: Miguel Pera
Current position and hospital: Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona
ESCP Executive position: President
Main clinical and research interests: Colon and rectal cancer; minimally invasive surgery; cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC; inflammatory response to surgery; mechanisms of tumour recurrence; prognostic and predictors biomarkers of colorrectal cancer recurrence
Social media: LinkedIn
What made you want to specialise in colorectal surgery?
A combination of intention and chance. After completing my training as a general surgeon, I applied for fellowships in the United States in surgical oncology and laparoscopic surgery. Ultimately, I was offered the opportunity to train for one year in colorectal surgery at Mayo Clinic Arizona with Jacques Heppell and Keith Kelly in 1998. I also had the privilege of training with Heidi Nelson in Rochester. These experiences and mentors were pivotal in shaping my career as an academic colorectal surgeon.
What is the best part of the job?
Colorectal surgery offers a unique combination of diverse surgical activity with varying degrees of complexity, alongside clinical and translational research and the opportunity to train future surgeons. The most rewarding aspect of our work is being able to offer effective surgical solutions to our patients’ problems, while inspiring and motivating young surgeons to follow in our footsteps.
How long have you been involved in ESCP and what made you want to become involved?
I became a member of ESCP, formerly EACP, in 2004. After returning from the United States and joining the Department of Surgery at Hospital del Mar, becoming actively involved in the European academic surgical community was one of my main professional goals. ESCP represented a natural and stimulating platform to share knowledge, collaborate with leading colleagues across Europe, and contribute to the advancement of colorectal surgery through education, research, and clinical excellence.
What do you value most about being involved in ESCP?
Beyond the opportunity to attend and contribute to the annual meeting, which maintains an exceptionally high standard, I especially value being part of a society that invests considerable effort and resources in the education and training of current and future colorectal surgeons.
Tell us your best ESCP conference anecdote?
I took the European Board of Coloproctology examination in Vienna in 2012. Two of my examiners were ESCP past president Ethem Gecim and former Education Chair Dieter Hahnloser. I could not attend the announcement of the results as I was simultaneously giving a lecture in the main auditorium, and only several hours later did I discover that I had passed.
What would your one bit of advice for younger surgeons starting their career in colorectal surgery be?
Seek out a strong training environment, there are many excellent centres of excellence across Europe, find one (or two) committed mentors, always place the patient’s interests first, engage in meaningful research, and become actively involved in ESCP.