University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine - Hippocratean Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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ticket. The AMA hrcatlicd ,iL;,nn .ind Harry Truman complimented himself tor not throwing monkey wrenches into governmental machinery. All the non-vets in the class who had previously deluded themselves into thinking they wouldn ' t be called were shocked back into sanity by the grim draft calls all about them, .md there were several applications for commissions. Yes. there were changes. But much was the same too. We still came to .ittention, only on Tuesd.iy mornings this ye.ir. And Tom Gregg and George Gerneth still were late. Many really started the senior work in the summer by taking their 10-day OB sentences then, preferring to keep the rest of the year as pileasant as possible. One can sleep to the lull.iby of laundry carts and packing crates only so long, and it doesn ' t take few days to learn to hold sutures in the line of the cut. Doctor, Senior curriculum must have been designed by a Normandy veter.m; on Fridays all it was was hedge-hopping. First to the Chief Chef , t the North Side White Tower for those meaty bony problems, then a short one-half hour flight to either Saint Francis or Mercy for things neurological. After lunch all scattered to points distant for regular clinics. How did they ever do it without automobiles? Like all others, senior year had its hilarity too: Remember Ed Jew (hite for class that day) plastered against the door outside radiology furiously taking notes, and almost bowled over when Dr. Grier stepped out? He wouldn ' t come in either. (It ' s just as well; he would have been the only one taking notes. Who ever will forget that day of Dr. C. R. Schaefer ' s lecture when a bright, young, bouncing lad opened the door, bounded in and said, Mind if I listen? Are you a doctor? said Dr. Schaefcr. No, but I ' m .going to do a circumcision in thirty minutes. Sorry, this lecture ' s for doctors only. Our class was once highly honored. On January 22 we were visited by The Man in the White Suit, much to our surprise, but not our amazement. Clinics in the afternoon were where we really learned medicine and one of the most basic lessons came home to Ann Stitt and Merv Stewart — Be sure your patient understands you. Each gave a patient a urine sample bottle with the instruction to bring back some of your water. And that ' s exactly what they got! Saturday morning had something new; Question Man Brady held forth from 8:30 to 10 with always a stimulating clinic and an answer to the extreme psycho- somaticists. But he did a cruel thing the day he quipped about Bob Milligan, Somebody throw him a pillow, please. That shock broke up a four-year sleep. Surgery was followed by anesthesiology, which certainly turned out to be a well named and effective course. After the somnolence had passed. Dr. Maclachlan took over with his inspiring clinics in internal medicine. Never reluctant to put forth his ideals, seasoning his discourses with many memories of past, harder years, he has been one of the prime molders of physicians here. We all arc better for his influence. As the days began to lengthen ,ind our spirits slacken as that last turn came into view, one honor came to us out of no virtue on our part; but we all are proud anyway to be the first senior class to have heard the Annual Pitt Medical Alumni Speaker. Dr. Philip Hench, Pitt graduate of the class of 1920, Nobel Prize winner in 1950 and certainly Pitt Medical ' s most famous living alumnus gave a most informative lecture on the status of cortisone at that time, and concluded with a ringing appeal always to be progressive and idealistic. Here was no narrowed medical scientist, but a true clinician whose perspectives are not bounded by present horizons, one who makes all Pitt Med students stand a little straighter and breathe a little deeper at mention of their Alma Mater. But as it must in all things our year drew to an end and as we look back over these highlights of our form.itive professional years we view them (in Dr. Hench ' s words) as the end of a beginning. [83]

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Pediatrics impressed on us tli.it cluldrcn just weren ' t little .idults ,uid their care was quite unique; but those Stevenson Slips of the Tongue kept things humorous. On Tuesdays, the faculty very considerately gave us a siesta hour. It was called radiology but a darkened room with added hot air one hour after lunch is too much for even the eagerest beaver. After radiology psychiatry took over and Dr. Brosin kept many laughing; but really, we don ' t think It ' s hell to get sick in Pittsburgh. Clinical Clerking in Medicine gave us a chance to u.se our skills in lab work (everyone avidly did it!) and Lou Cherry was really burned when he couldn ' t find a match at Mercy. Tapping a distinguished gray-haired man on the shoulder and asking for a match, Lou expounded on how poorly he thought the lab was equipped. Very interesting, said the gentleman as he stopped for a look. Very abashed was Skip when he found out the gentlem.m w.is Dr. Machlachlan! Ray Boylan remembers surgery most. There, in respon.se to Dr. H.irbison ' s query on how the patient was doing. Ray said. Fine. She was put on the artifici.il kidney last night. was Dr. Harbison ' s chilling reply. (Must be riglit up to the minute on rounds) . Oph.uh.ilmology dealt with m.my things about the e e. but for most of us it was shut-eye. We always will remember gynecology for just one thing — the day they took roll when half the class was on leave. Dick Adler isn ' t going to sign anyone else ' s name again, either. (Oh. the shame of it .ill!) Fridays were days of torture. Tliree hours on those planks at Mercy! Henry M.inkin had all he could stand in March, and down came seat, Henry and all. But all th.it resulted were one less seat in the amphithe.itre and two sore tuberosities. The protes.sors seemed to sympathize though. Dr. Perm.ir did his best with his subtle w ' it, but some days all jokes fall flat. And to Dr. M.ibon and the faculty in neurology: We really aren ' t that disinterested. Frid.iy afternoon .md two preceding hours of shifting to alternative ischii are more th.m mortal m.m can take. We appreciate your efforts. The pit h.id its humor too. It w.is there th.it Merv Stew.irt rose to new peaks of fame. Everytime movies or slides were to be shown his appreciative classmates chorused, Merv ' 11 do it. We want Merv. ( Aw gee, what can you do when they clamor for you like that? ). There too Joe Scarlata had his heart attack, induced by Dave Schaub ' s asking Dr. Rusbridge how to properly apply a tongue blade to a broken finger, and then saying he was Joe Scarlata when asked his name. Anil Stitt certainly will remember Mercy too. She ' s the only person in history to come into a surgery final one liour Lite and still come out with a B + . (She .says sht would be very happy not to have had the honor and still have had her sanity the rest of the week). Our class spawned a new individu.il in the junior year — the coffee carrier, he who bursts into cla.ss five minutes late, in company of a.ssociates, furtively concealing the Java, wearing a half-hearted, self-conscious smirk. He seemed to work in close consort with that other pure breed — the hisser. (But he has been aroused a long time). In May we suddenly were faced with the re.ilization th.it the ye.ir was nearer to completion and our efforts nearer to nothing, with tests coming right up! With one hand on the benzedrine, with the necessary one night stands monotonously following each other, we were .1 horde of irascible automatons until the last of those 17 ex.ims in two weeks p.i.ssed. But B.icehus greeted us again at his yearly revelry, .md troubles soon became oblivion; as a matter of fact everything becinie oblivion. Before anyone was aware th.it the summer of . ' i2 had pa.ssed. .senior ye.ir began on .m auspicious September 8. Auspicious it certainly was, for weren ' t we at that blissful year, the only one of our lives, when there w.is no more for us to learn and we merely were paying our respects to that traditional fourth year (Ah! Rash youth!) How events had changed that year! Eisenhower had beaten Taft for the GOP nomination, and later did the impossible by becoming President on the Republican [82]

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Charles L. Adams Pittshuri h. P.i. University of Pittshursih. B.S.. 1949 Pill Rlio Sigma Wik-: Shirley AUcglicny Gcncr.il Hospit.il, Pitlsburgli General Practice Richard J. Adler McKeesport, Pa. University of Pittslniruii. 15. S.. 1949 Phi Delta Epsilon Queen of Angels Ho.-ipit.il Los Angeles, Calif. [84