A creative wellspring

A creative wellspring n the minds of many physicians lies a wellspring of creativity--creative thought that fosters a fascination with the mysteries of medical science and human illness. The thrill of unearthing new knowledge is exceeded only by the intrigue of unraveling a puzzle long unsolved. This compelling force has provided inquisitive individuals with a structural underpinning that has made internal medicine (or some facet of it) a natural choice and a fulfilling career. The opportunity to nurture bright young minds is a major mission of the Central Society for Clinical Research. Despite other mandates and demands that currently are placed upon the 40 or more departments of internal medicine that constitute this organization, nothing distracts us from this mission and the universality of our quest for scientific knowledge. We encourage this pursuit to the fullest, including unconventional channels of exploration. Toward this end, this Society proudly acknowledges excellence in scientific inquiry. On behalf of the Society I wish to congratulate those individuals who were invited to present their original work at our annual scientific session. Such creative studies and their insights into medical science allow us to broaden our perspectives. In some cases, they even revise the body of knowledge so that we may experience growth in change. It further gives me great pleasure to acknowledge those individuals selected for our Society's Outstanding Investigator and Trainee awards--they represent our life blood, our future, and the legacy of academic medicine.

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J Lab Clin Med 1996;127:9. Copyright © 1996 by Mosby-Year Book, Inc. 0022-2143/96 $5.00 + 0

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As historian James Burke so eloquently stated: When we observe nature, we see what we want to see according to what we believe we know about it at the time. We are what we know. And when the body of knowledge changes, so do we. 1 Let us aspire to broaden our perspective of disease and to continue our exploration of the unknown. Let us dare to see how our knowledge will change. KARL T. WEBER, MD

President Central Society for Clinical Research REFERENCE

1. Burke J. The day the universe changed. London: Little Brown and Co., 1985.

CSCR awardees OUTSTANDING INVESTIGATOR AWARD 1995

Awarded by the Central Society for Clinical Research to one of the nominated researchers whose submitted abstract and curriculum vitae are judged to be of superior quality. Presidential Award to Outstanding Investigator

Seigo Izumo, University of Michigan MIDWEST TRAINEE INVESTIGATOR AWARDS 1995

Awarded jointly by the Central Society for Clinical Research to the 40 trainees judged to have submitted the best abstracts to the combined annual meetings of the two societies.

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