I came from a family of physicians. My father was a pediatrician, my grandfather a general practitioner, and I had an uncle who was a physician. I have four brothers who are all physicians. Even though I grew up around medicine, I went to college as a business major and frankly my first year was less than stellar.
That year I landed a summer job as a laborer in a steel mill, and it occurred to me that I might end up working there for the rest of my life. That was when I decided to start pre-med courses and become more serious about my academic education. Medicine became a viable target. At McGill I was early on inclined towards surgery and was honored to receive the Robert Forsythe Prize for surgery at graduation.
I entered a surgical internship at the University of Pittsburgh and then went on to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for a four-year residency in orthopedic surgery. This was during the Vietnam War, and I was subject to conscription. After residency I spent two years in the military, primarily in Europe. While serving in the army I decided to subspecialize in hand surgery and microsurgery, which was emerging as a new technique for reconnecting tiny blood vessels and nerves.
While in the army I was given a month's leave to observe and train in Vienna with one of the pioneers in microsurgery at the Vienna Allgemeines Krankehaus. After finishing the military, I went on to the University of Louisville in Kentucky, which at the time was one of the premier hand and microsurgery institutions, to complete a one-year training fellowship.
I think it is important for all newly minted physicians and scientists to remember that on graduation they are at the beginning of a life-long learning path.”
Microvascular surgery was novel and its main initial applications were the reattachment of severed fingers and hands and peripheral nerve reconstruction. The idea of free tissue transfer (taking skin and muscle flaps to heal soft tissue and bone defects) with time became the major application.
After my fellowship, I spent two years at the Medical College of Ohio. I was then invited to join the permanent staff of the Mayo Clinic to help establish a microsurgery and trauma reconstruction program, and I accepted.
Coming to McGill was serendipitous. I had applied to several medical schools while in college. Just before graduating from college I received a gracious letter from McGill offering me an acceptance. The decision to go to McGill was an easy one due to McGill's superb international reputation and the fact that the matriculants came from a global source.
I accepted McGill's invitation despite never having visited the campus or Montreal. I packed my Volkswagon, said goodbye to my family, and drove to Montreal a few days before classes started.
My McGill experience stands out for several reasons, but what comes to mind was the academic excellence and the aura of so many giants in medicine – Osler, Bethune, Penfield, just to name a few.
After my second year at McGill, I married my wife, Marilee, in Pennsylvania where we both our families were from. My Montreal experience was mainly dominated by studying, but I was also privileged to have a research experience in the Royal Victoria Immunology department. This stimulated my interest in basic research which allowed me to include research as part of my career with an NIH-funded laboratory at Mayo Clinic.
While not having a designated mentor per se during my studies, I was significantly influenced by Dr. Joe Miller, who at the time was at the Montreal General Hospital, and Dr. Richard Cruess at the Royal Victoria Hospital. I recognize the value of mentorship and personally find it very gratifying. I've spent most of my career as a Mayo Medical School professor of Orthopedic Surgery, working hand in hand with residents, students and research fellows. I've continued to maintain a relationship with many of these mentees.
I think it is important for all newly minted physicians and scientists to remember that on graduation they are at the beginning of a life-long learning path. In my case, I went to Mayo to help establish a limb replantation program, but became much more involved with reconstruction of major limb defects due to trauma, malignancies and sepsis. I spent the majority of my career acquiring skills I never learned in medical school or residency training.
Towards the latter part of my career, I became much more involved with the administrative aspects of healthcare and eventually became the President and CEO of the Mayo Clinic Healthcare system, comprised of 18 hospitals, and nearly 50 clinics throughout the upper Midwest, Arizona and Florida.
Even after retiring I have spent the subsequent 15 years as a director board member of public healthcare companies and organizations, which was another significant learning experience.
It has been a very good ride, and if I were to offer any advice it is to aspire to life-long learning and maintain a full dance card.