Last Lecture: Andre Campbell Highlights Social Justice, Diversity

UCSF News reports on the inspirational lecture given by Andre Campbell, M.D., Professor of Surgery at the UCSF Department of Surgery at Zuckerberg SFGH, about the importance of social justice and diversity at the annual "UCSF Last Lecture" event, in which Dr. Campbell spoke of his experiences at UCSF dating back to his graduation from the UCSF School of Medicine.

It’s OK to not know what you want to do when you grow up – even if you’re already a famous trauma surgeon.

That and many other nuggets of wisdom were imparted by Andre Campbell, MD, during his delivery of the 2016 Last Lecture that contained the underlying theme of the importance of social justice and diversity.

The UCSF Last Lecture is an annual tradition in its fifth year that features a UCSF faculty member nominated and selected by students from the Graduate Division and the schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy to answer the question: “If you had but one lecture to give, what would you say?” More than 700 students voted to select Campbell.

With plenty of colorful “Campbellisms” sprinkled throughout, the UC San Francisco professor of surgery wove together the threads of the fabric of his life and career.

Work That Has Permeated Life, Career

In 1985, as Campbell was graduating from UCSF School of Medicine, the UCSF Alumni Magazine interviewed him and asked him about how he felt to be a minority student. “My response was: ‘UCSF was well known for its record on recruiting minorities; I just hope they keep working hard to stay in the position they have had in the past,’” Campbell had replied at the time, foreshadowing a theme that has permeated his life and career.