ABSTRACT
Through the years, respect has not always been well practiced in the confines of the operating room and particularly with regard to the function and supervision of surgical residents. Let me be more specific. Surgeon teachers not infrequently demand efficiency and exactness of surgical residents in performing the operating act. I be lieve this is a good teaching practice. What is not good is to overuse the teaching capacity and exert unneeded demands from residents and fellows who are learning how to operate. What is not good is to categorize some residents as unfit even before working with them. What is not good is to create an atmosphere of tension during sur gery that helps no one and adds one more burden of uneasiness for the learner. Let’s then be conscious of the function and value of teach ing and offer respect for residents and coworkers alike, during and after the operating act.
