University of Michigan Medical and Nursing School - Aequanimitas Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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if Eff Earl Feringa Born May 30, 1932 B.S., Calvin College N1.D., Northwestern University Intern at Philadelphia General Hospital Resident at University of Colorado Galens Shovel. Senior Award YW , YY7 EARL FERINGA -1.

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Dr. fiarl lferinga is at a teaching institu- tion because he likes to teach. He believes that if a person is primarily interested in research. he should go to a research center and not a teaching hospital. Dr. lferinga emphasizes the distinction between memorization and learning. Nlemorization. used most heavily in the basic sciences is deprived of continuity with relevant learning by lack of clinical patient contact. 'l'he system of attempting to communicate with two hundred students at once inevitably tends to emphasize role memorization of material. Under these conditions. he believes it is difficult for both students and instructors to maintain enthu- siasm. a valuable precondition to learning. He feels that the new curriculum is prog- ress towards solving these problems and improving teaching. since basic science is correlated more with clinical applications. This and the fact of smaller groups should ignite more enthusiasm in both students and staff. Although aware that teaching at Nlichi- gan can stand improvement. Dr. Feringa thinks the staff is often falsely accused of poor teaching. He feels that the students who complain the most are the ones least willing to teach themselves. He thinks they want to be on the receiving end all the time. whichqiust is not lifel Presently as Chief of Neurology at the Y..-X. Hospital. he sets limited objectives for students on his service. Realizing that they are there for a brief time, he does not shame them if they cannot place a lesion precisely after having the history and seeing a physi- cal. His expectations are rather a decent neurological exam and a development of the knowledge required to refer patients to a specialist for further evaluation and ther- apy. He also believes in treating students as part of the ward staff and emphasizes that they are not to do scut or secretarial shores, but rather to spend time with patients or in reading. One of the most valuable assets is that students regard him as a friend as well as instructor. lt is easy to communicate with I8 him as he does not appear to place himself upon a pedestal. Although he feels the fac- ulty disapproves. he can often be found at student functions. Yet he is aware that some distance most be kept in order to maintain the professor-student relationship on rounds stating that 'fit is often very difficult to draw the line between familiarity and respect. 7f1f!lf1.I-t'f1t'Ifg llr. Feringa's thoughts on teaching tabovel are professed by many staff mem- bersg the significant uniqueness of this out- standing teacher is that those principles form the nidus of a truly remarkable per- sonal modus operandi. He brings those ideas to life whenever he finds himself in a dialogue with students. Briefly. this is how Dr. Feringa achieved his astounding popu- larity in such a short period oftime. tSenior .-Xward 1966. llonorary Cialens membership 1967. and Knight of Shovel .-Xward l968j llis trather high quality and excitingj research and other commitments limit his contact with students largely to his lengthy rounds. at which time students present all the new patients. In this thrice-weekly ritu- al. Dr. Feringa performs a complete neurol- ogic exam on each patient. all the while tossing a valuable, yet humorous, shower of pearls over his shoulder. lt is marvelous to watch him encounter the nearly uncontroll- able schizophrenic. for Ur. l eringa's quiet mastery soon exerts its influence and the patient invariably co-operates perfectly. Amazed and delighted, students watch intently for clues to the secret of his subtle technique of handling patients. Clearly. he becomes a model to emulate. After the examination, symptoms are coalesced and Dr. Feringa gives the differen- tial diagnosis. His verbal delivery is fluent. flawless. and shaped with the rigorous logic and organization of a textbook. Indeed. one gets the eerie notion that whole paragraphs and even chapters are stored away in his memory. ready to be rattled off. Students on Ur. Feringa's service are not trainedg they are educated. -Tint liurlofz

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JOHN R. G. GOSLING Since winning the Galens award and the Senior award for teaching excellence some ten and nine years ago, one would think that Dr. john Gosling has perfected and settled into an excellent system of student instruc- tion. This is not the case: Dr. Goslingls method has changed-for the better he hopes-and will continue to do so. It is not change for its own sake, however, but a continuing effort towards improvement. He believes that nearly any system can be made better, and that the criteria of excellence should be progressively set higher. Students come in contact with Dr. Gosling's more formal teaching in two dif- ferent areas: history of medicine and ob- stetrics and gynecology. History of medicine is a large lecture setting, and in these lec- tures the material is always kept interesting. Historical detail which could very well be dull is enlivened with humor, anecdotes, john R. G. Gosling, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Born-March 8, 1926 A.B., MD., University of Michigan Intern, Resident at University Hospital, Ann Arbor Galens Shovel l