Edward Gomperts
Much thanks to Ryan and Mike in posting the link to Harry Seftel`s video on smoking. Vintage Seftel in a number of ways. It is 49 years, this month that I started my internship in Harry Seftel`s unit together with Mary Edgington as my co-intern. Choosing to do my medical internship in Harry`s unit was one of the more important professional decisions that framed my future career. It was a very challenging six months, especially as we had Mike Kew as our Registrar who was almost non-existent in his support. I especially remember one night when I was struggling to manage a patient with diabetic keto-acidosis, with Mike`s advice non-existent, that Harry walked into the unit at 10:30 pm after being to a theater performance, recognized the serious clinical situation as well as my and the patient`s predicament and promptly guided me over the next half-hour as how best to manage the challenging and evolving clinical situation. However I particularly remember Harry as a superb clinical scientist, a data-driven clinician of the highest order and most important, an empathic physician. His style of leadership and example as a patient focused physician was beyond value to me.
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