Pres. William McKinley was shot while visiting Buffalo, New York, in 1901. The best surgeon in the area was Roswell Park, who was already preparing for surgery on another patient. When told he was urgently needed, Park said: “Don’t you see that I can’t leave this case, even if it were for the president of the United States?” McKinley was instead operated on by a gynecologist with no relevant surgical experience and died eight days later, making Teddy Roosevelt president.