Surgery can be defined as physical intervention to address injury, disease or deformity. It evolved markedly during the 20th century, with “surgeons” being progressively defined by procedural training paradigms required for board certification by relevant governing bodies. However, both of these definitions fall as an artificial subset within the larger treatment, cure or prevention of human maladies. As such, the future of surgery, per se, has been and always will be driven by evolution of a larger understanding of human health and disease, with those defining themselves as surgeons best served by a deep understanding of the mechanistic (biological and social) underpinnings of human health and disease, rather than procedural (or financial) classifications. This presentation will approach the continued evolution of surgery within the broad context of human service. Topics to be covered will include a need for progressive emphasis on prevention over treatment, mechanism over procedure, and information over data.