An alumnus of the University of Oregon Medical School and its orthopedics residency program, Beals was uniquely positioned to be familiar with every resident who trained before him and each one who has trained since. His tenure on the Medical School faculty from 1961 to 2008, and his thirteen years as chair of the Division of Orthopedics, made him an authority on both the teaching and practice of orthopedics on the West Coast. In this interview, Dr. Beals speaks about orthopedics at OHSU and in the state of Oregon, including his expertise in the treatment of growth disorders. Beals also recounts the changes and trends in orthopedics that have occurred in the past 40 years, and looks ahead to the field's future as he contemplates potential advances in bone healing and the discovery of genetic bases of bone diseases.