The 30th Annual Richard J. Smith Memorial Lectureship & the 6th Annual Jesse B Jupiter International Hand Forum

This activity is targeted towards orthopaedic surgeons, plastic surgeons, and general surgeons with an interest in hand and upper extremity surgery. Experienced hand and upper extremity surgeons—particularly those that are involved in teaching, research, and writing—need a course that goes beyond didactics. Through an interactive setting where areas of debate and variation are addressed dynamically with the lines between faculty and participants being blurred, this course will provide experienced surgeons with a forum where they can get feedback on new ideas and find best practices or consensus directions for future research. Participants will benefit from immediate feedback on where concepts and practices fit within the best evidence and standard approaches. Using vignettes, cases, and debatable issues, moderators will play the role of provocateur, raising the breadth and depth of opinion for discussion, and reinforcing the scientific methods and systems approaches that can reduce unwarranted variation, and optimize care of hand and upper extremity illness, leading to improvements in leaner competence and performance.

Richard J. Smith, MD was an extraordinary individual and one who could not be replaced. Henry Mankin, MD, in writing Richard Smith’s obituary in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery in 1987, stated so eloquently, “his capacities, talents, and commitment made him, in the eyes of man, our finest flower and the thirty years he gave to hand surgery, one of its finest periods.”

Dr. Smith was born in the Bronx, New York, attending the prestigious Bronx High School of Science. He received his college education at Brown University, graduating in 1951. His medical education was obtained at New York Medical College, where he was elected to AOA and graduated in 1955. Following a surgical internship at Bellevue Hospital, Dr. Smith began his Orthopaedic surgical training at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City, completing the program in 1960. During his training at the Hospital for Joint Diseases, he became a disciple of Emmanuel Kaplan, MD, who at that time was a leading authority in anatomy of the hand. Under Dr. Kaplan’s tutelage, Dr. Smith became determined to pursue a career in the relatively new field of hand surgery.

Following a two-year obligation to the Public Health Service in Boston, Dr. Smith spent a year of Hand Fellowship, divided between Mr. Guy Pulvertaft in Derby, England and Dr. Joseph Boyes in Los Angeles, California. In 1963, Dr. Smith returned to the Hospital for Joint Diseases to join Dr. Kaplan and later in 1968 to succeed him as the Director of the Hand Service. During this time, he established himself as an outstanding clinician, surgeon, and most of all, a renowned educator.

In 1972, Dr. Smith moved to Boston to become the Chief of the Orthopaedic Hand Service at the Massachusetts General Hospital and, in 1980, was named Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. During his tenure at the MGH, he expanded his activities in hand surgery to an international level and in 1982 served as President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Dr. Smith always found the time to be a devoted husband to his wife Jane and a devoted father to his daughters Lisa and Tracey, and late son James.

For all who had the unique good fortune to have known Dr. Smith, studied under him, or worked with him in any capacity, what will endure most of all was his remarkable skill and devotion to education, the pursuit of excellence, and the advancement of the specialty of hand surgery.

In 1989, the MGH Orthopaedic Hand Service, led by Jesse B. Jupiter at that time, designated a day in honor of Dr. Smith and his life’s work. This year marks the 29th Annual Richard J. Smith Memorial Lecturership commonly known as “Smith Day” with Thomas J. Fischer, MD as the distinguished orator.

Jesse B. Jupiter, MD, MA is Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at MGH. He earned his MD at Yale in 1972 and completed his surgical internship at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in 1973.

Following, Dr. Jupiter completed a two-year commitment as a general medical officer in the US Public Health Service Indian Health branch with the Pima Indians in Arizona. His interest in medical education was enhanced with the development of educational programs improving primary care for both diabetic and arthritic patients.

In 1975, he began the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program. In 1980, Dr. Jupiter traveled to Basle, Switzerland where he completed an AO Fellowship after which he completed a hand and microvascular fellowship in Louisville, KY.

He returned to Boston in 1981 and began his academic and clinical career at MGH. During his 33 years on the faculty he has had the opportunity to head the Trauma Service, Foot and Ankle Program and the Hand Service.

Dr. Jupiter is an honorary member of more than 20 international societies of either Hand Surgery or Orthopaedic Surgery and has been named to America's Top Surgeons annually and Best of Boston since 2007.

Dr. Jupiter is an internationally known and sought after hand and upper limb specialist. He has given more than 1000 scientific presentations, published more than 220 original publications, 140 analytic reviews, 115 chapters in scientific texts and was co-author or co-editor of 10 major texts in upper limb and orthopaedic problems. Dr. Jupiter has developed a worldwide reputation, especially related to problems of the wrist and elbow along with all other conditions involving the hand and upper limb.

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