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

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as in research for trends in medical education. In 1997, Dr. Sterling became the Associate Dean for Medical Education where he has worked to create a close and supportive environment for the entire student body. He has a unique and close relationship with Dr. Reeves as well as everyone in the Office of Student Affairs. Dr. Reeves says, In all my years of medical education, I never met anyone as compassionate, understanding, intelligent, and hard work- found him receptive and responsive to our concerns. From unhappy lectures to test questions to missing lecture notes he makes it a priority to give us feedback and keep us informed. When we hear pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, it is hard not to think of Dr. Sterling. He was an outstanding lecturer, covering a range of topics from autonomic pharmacology to endocrine pharmacology. Dr. Sterling has engaged all of us “You have all been like my children over the last four years.” Left: Gerry and his mother at commencement (PhD, Ohio State, 1977) Center. The young and handsome Dr. Gerald Sterling Right: Gerry and his brother(1957) ing. I aspire to be like him. Dr. Sterling is not the type to sit behind closed doors and dictate educational policy. He works hard to actively involve students in directing their medical education, he has been instrumental in the implementation of the new medical school curriculum, and he works closely with course and clerkship directors. His recent publications have included research regarding the integrated curriculum, ethics, professionalism, and student mental health. This research shows Dr. Sterling's interest and commitment to becoming a better teacher by continually learning. As students, we always have with his weekly workshops in clinical pharmacology, which stem from his belief that we learn best in the context of a clinical problem. He also has led us through review sessions before each pharmacology test, and has always been willing to spend extra time helping students outside of the classroom. Dr. Sterling also consistently ensures that he maintains good relationships with his students through his work as Associate Dean of Medical Education. He is approachable, understanding, and truly cares about each student who walks into his office. It is not hard to believe that Dr. Sterling t TEMPLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

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Gerry with his family (1988) gether, they never dated during college. Only after their college years, through a mutual friend would they meet again. It was love at first (or second) sight, and now they are about to celebrate thirty wonderful years of marriage together. Aside from their love for each other, they share a passion for Penn State. In fact, all of their children, lan and Michelle, Rachel, and Matthew are Penn State grads (or soon-to-be-grads). The whole family shares in the intensity of Penn State Football and it is even rumored that an ill-informed first-year (student?) once offered Dr. Sterling two hundred dollars for his pair of PSU-Notre Dame tickets. Always interested in science and math. Dr. Sterling graduated from Penn State in 1972 with a Biophysics degree, and then continued on to The Ohio State University to study Pharmacology. At Ohio State, the young and fully bearded. Sterling first started to develop his Temple ties. His PhD advisor left Ohio State to chair the Pharmacology Department at Temple, and Dr. Ster- ling followed, finishing his last two years of PhD work here at Temple (although his degree is from Ohio State, 1977). He was immediately drawn to Temple, not only because it was a great institute of higher learning, but also because Dr. Schneck had his name memorized from the first day (and Ted's Truck had the best coffee he had ever tasted). After completing his PhD, Dr. Sterling traveled out west for a few years for a postdoc fellowship at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. His research at NASA involved studying the dehydration that astronauts experience from fluid shifts in zero-gravity environments. Eventually, Dr. Sterling returned to Philadelphia in 1979, where he joined the faculty at Hahnemann and worked on the cholinergic nervous system in a collaborative effort with Temple pharmacologists. It was in 1990 that Dr. Sterling finally came to Temple University School of Medicine. He joined the Pharmacology Department as faculty and became engaged in teaching future doctors, dentists, and podiatrists. His interests lay in pharmacology education for professional students, as well Matthew, Rachel, Michelle and Ian (2005) 2008 SKULL 7

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said, You have all been like my children over the last four years (aside from actually having a daughter in the class). Our class has been fortunate to see Dr. Sterling not only in the role of professor and dean, but also as a great father. Rachel Sterling even admits that some of her most treasured moments from Temple are the afternoons she spent chatting with her dad in his office. Aside from Temple, medical students, and pharmacology. Dr. Sterling is a man who loves his family and the community in which he lives. He and his wife are actively involved with their synagogue and community service in southern Jersey. When the weather is nice, he and his wife can be seen taking long walks in their neighborhood. He and Rachel like to do crossword puzzles in the evening, and he even enjoys household chores before sitting down in front of the T.V. Dr. Sterling may be an avid sports fan, but his favorite activity of all is going to his children's soccer games and cheering his heart out. This year is of course special for all of us as we earn our M.D.s and prepare for internship, residency, and our careers ahead. It also is a very special year for Dr. Sterling. His daughter Rachel is graduating with us, his son Matthew is graduating from college, and Dr. Sterling and his wife are celebrating thirty years of marriage. He is a devoted husband, father, and most importantly, he is a teacher at heart. Dr. Sterling is a role model for us to be lifelong students and teachers, and as great teachers, we can embrace the principle, the idea, docere. I hope that we never forget all the teachers that have helped us along this journey. Thank you. Dr. Sterling for all that you have done for us. -Jake Feldman and the Class of 2008 2008 SKULL 9