The unexpected and sudden passing of Adam Berger has left us, his friends and colleagues who he knew throughout his career, with a profound sense of loss. It has also left a large void in the field of academic surgery. For the past 5 years, Adam served as the Associate Director for Shared Resources and Head of the Soft Tissue Oncology Program at the Rutgers Cancer Institute, where his impact on every aspect of our program was immediate and profound.

In speaking with friends and colleagues of Adam’s from every era of his professional career, it is striking how consistent the memories of Adam have been. He is remembered as a quiet and dedicated person who never lost his cool and was always shining the light on others and supporting those around him. He was dedicated to advancing the field of oncology through clinical trials and inculcating his juniors with those same values and principles that distinguished him in his career. Adam took a hiatus from his residency at the University of Maryland to complete a 2-year fellowship in the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In those days, there was some friendly competition among faculty in the Surgery Branch to recruit the best and brightest of the new fellows to their respective laboratories, and when we met Adam he got the full court press from one of us (S.K.L.). That hunch about Adam’s potential was absolutely right, as he was one of the most productive fellows to ever work in the section. After his clinical fellowship at the Fox Chase Cancer Center, he joined the faculty at Thomas Jefferson University, where he first established credentials and an international reputation as a clinical researcher. He had significant impact as an investigator in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), and the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), and it is remarkable to see him listed as co-author on scores of publications reporting results of prospective interventional cooperative group trials in patients with breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, or melanoma.

More than anything else, though, Adam was most passionate about mentorship. His resume lists students, residents, and fellows extending over 20 years whose lives and careers have been profoundly impacted by Adam. At Rutgers, the large number of residents who choose to specialize in surgical oncology was due, in large part, to his presence here. This legacy holds true for the impact he had on young aspiring surgeons at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College during his time as faculty at Jefferson. Despite his busy schedule and professional motivations to maintain a high clinical volume, Dr. Berger went out of his way to cultivate a productive educational environment for his students and trainees. In his clinics, he would routinely have an enthusiastic complement of surgical residents ready to present new patients and partake in the complex workup and decision-making process that made up his practice. Likewise, there were always handfuls of medical students observing on their surgical clerkships, participating as acting interns, or shadowing as part of their research fellowship program. For each of these individuals, at various phases of their medical education and training, Dr. Berger modeled compassion, integrity, clinical excellence, and intellectual curiosity. Many of us will remember him for broadening our understanding of what it means to be a surgeon, and opening the door to the incredibly fascinating and rewarding field of surgical oncology.

It is very likely that Adam’s experience as a member of the swim team at the University of Chicago may have shaped his persona and qualities. We can imagine him just getting his lane and quietly doing his very best to win his heat, knowing that his best personal achievements were most impactful in the context of helping the team succeed. As it was for him then, is how it was throughout his career.