Temple University School of Medicine - Skull Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 9 text:

Harvard led to the natural choice of Massachusetts General Hospital for his Internship and Assistant Residency years in Medicine, after which he was sent for two years by Uncle Sam to the N.I.H., where he was assigned by lottery to a biochemistry laboratory active in globin synthesis. In addition to his contributions as a Research Associate in the laboratory there, Dr. Waxman also held an appointment as Clinical Instructor of Medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine. In 1966 he returned to Massachusetts General to complete his medical residency. The following year he served as Ward Fellow in Hematology and Trainee in Medicine 3t Barnes Hospital in St. Louis and he came from there to Temple. His appointment in 1968 was Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Investigator at the Pels Research Institute. Three years later he was named Associate Professor and Deputy Chairman of the Department of Medicine. His research on blood disorders, productive of nine papers on red cell physiology, saw practical application in clinical programs for sickle cell anemia and related disorders which he helped develop within the Greater Delaware Valley Regional Medical Program. In 1973, his contributions to medical students' education was recognized with the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching. He was named Professor of Medicine in 1975, and was made Chief of the Medical Service at T.U.H. the following year. Appreciation for, and recognition of Herb Waxman's achievements extend well beyond Temple. A Diplomate of the A.B.I.M. in Internal Medicine and Hematology who has written several chapters on anemia for medical texts, he is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. His record bespeaks achievement in many aspects of medicine, an accomplishment few could hope to match in a lifetime, much less at the tender age of forty-one! Despite his dedication to medicine, his first love could always be found outside the hospital, his family - wife Paula, Children Matt. Marcy and Eric. Dr. Waxman's home life drew as much of his attention as a difficult diagnostic case. Books are abundant throughout the house, especially Dr. Waxman's favorites, mysteries, evidenced by the only non—medical photos in his office. Few of us knew what an accomplished physician stood before the Freshman class when Dr. Waxman presented a patient with sickle cell anemia during a biochemistry clinical correlation. His presentation of the patient and her disease was of a calibre few clinicians, we were later to learn, could match. He thoroughly explained the biochemical defect, its physiological implications and the consequences, both medical and social, of the disease on the life and life-style of his patient. His presentation, reflective of his practice of clinical medicine, was concise but thorough, well-organized and demonstrated sensitivity to his patient and her life-style. Our next encounter, of a different kind, was the following autumn during a panel discussion of the grading systems. Dr. Waxman contributed some insights into the value of above average grades if one is pursuing a competitive residency. Although it was an unpopular stance, it was one echoed frequently during the clinical years. Our most intimate relationship with Dr. Waxman developed during the Clinical Medicine course he developed and organized in the spring of 1976. His contributions to our education therein were manifold; as a lecturer in Hematology, as a discussion leader in Clinical Problem 5

Page 8 text:

Dedication May 25, 1978 Fellow Students of Medicine: It is the privilege of the Class of '78 to dedicate our Skull to Herbert S. Waxman. adding his name to the impressive list of recipients. Our encounters with Dr. Waxman, educationally and personally, make him a logical choice for this honor. Allow the following to stand in support for our selection. Dr. Waxman's background was unknown to most of us since his modesty at least matches his intellectual abilities. He could not disguise however, his Boston accent! A native Bostonian and a graduate of the Latin School there, he was elected to two honorary societies. Phi lamda Upsilon and Sigma Xi while completing a B.S. in Food Technology at M.l.T. However, a summer research project in amino acid analysis had taught him that he didn't want to live life in the lab (or in the kitchen!), so he fulfilled his premed requirements in anticipation of a clinical career. He went on to graduate magna cum laude in 1962 from Harvard Medical School after recognition as a National Scholar for three years, and serving as President of Alpha Omega Alpha following a junior year appointment. Apparently even for Harvard medical students, events in one's life are dated from the 8oards, for Dr. Waxman recalls that he married his wife Paula, a school teacher, the weekend after Part I! His accomplishments at 4

Page 10 text:

rWHVTES TO HERBFRT S. WAXMAN.M.D. I TCW C IM 5US r Wa i ®»t o KiB'CaC i 'OCWr «o n Amncunx c tow comneuncns to im cducaikw v rK»«a» rtAMno ot sficuusr . uw o» c asta awi c isx«!» ‘ .51 »W HERBERT S.WAXMAN.m.o. Solving and less formally, as a class therapist who spent much energy trying to dispel the Clinical Medicine—Pharmacology-National Boards Part I terrors that periodically gripped the class! Despite his other responsibilities as Chief of the Medical Service at T.U.H., Dr. Waxman attended most, if not all, of the Systems Disease I lectures, a marathon by his own admission, and lie probably deserved not only attendance, but also arousability awards! Throughout the course he encouraged and actively solicited student feedback to the extent that for one week each student wrote anonymous evaluations of content and style for each lecture attended. Through his initiative, the course was grossly modified for the following class but apparently at the expense of several personal friendships! Despite some problems with the course, there were some lighter moments . . . The day Dr. Waxman performed an H P before the class he carried his instruments not in a spiffy black monogrammed satchel, but North Philadelphia style, in a brown paper grocery bag! During the Cardiology lecture, he related the following anecdote - Apparently one day on rounds, a patient who had recently suffered a myocardial infarction but who was recovering nicely and who was about to be discharged, asked his doctor whether he could have coitus when he got home. The question was a real stumper for the attending, who adjourned his following to the hall for a conference. After some discussion, the attending concluded, The question really boils down to whether sex can be considered work or pleasure. In my experience, sex is approximately three-fourths work and one—fourth pleasure. The resident thought that sex was as much work as it was enjoyment, but the intern felt that there was considerably more fun than work involved and volunteered 75% and 25% as his respective estimates. With no agreement on the issue, they all turned to the medical student for an answer. Obviously, sex must be all pleasure. he asserted with a wink, for if there were any work involved, you guys would be having me do it1 As the Chief of the Medical Service. Dr. Waxman was actively involved in the administration of the clinical rotations in medicine. Med I and Med II. On an academic level, he contributed personally by conducting Professors Rounds, and through his additions to the CPC and Grand Rounds sessions. On the floors we found him to be a clinician who could be stopped in the hall and informally consulted, one who was eager to teach without intimidation. He started the day at 7:00 a.m. by seeing his inpatients and promptly answered formal consults in person. Described by one faculty member as a modest genius,” he has a remarkable ability to look at all the parts of a problem, clinical or otherwise, simplify it and work out a solution, differential diagnosis, treatment plan, or whatever the situation demands. Dr. Waxman was not one to be entrenched in an ivory tower. He came forth willingly when needed for even the most routine of tasks. He did procedures (I.p.'s, bone marrows, etc.) on patients when others had tried and failed. During the strike, he volunteered in the mail room and in the kitchen ... at last, an opportunity to use that M.l.T. Food Technology degree! During the blizzard of '78, one medical intern from the class of 'll remarked over dinner that while other attendings were ensconced securely at home or in their offices, Waxman would be here, behind the serving line. Dr. Waxman's announcment during the Systems Disease II course of his impending September departure took us by surprise. That he could leave while carrying so many teaching, clinical and administrative responsibilities was hard to believe. Although he left Temple early in our last year, he did not leave us in mid—stream, for during the summer he freely advised students seeking residencies in medicine, wrote letters of recommendation promptly when asked and encouraged students to apply to his program CHAIRMAN. DEPARTMENT oF MEDICINE