ALUMNI FROM THE CLASSES OF 1954 AND 1979 REMINISCE AT THE WALDORF
Time to schmooze is a rarity in the life of most physicians, an uninterrupted evening a mere fantasy. But when it involves hours of reminiscing with old friends and classmates from medical school, then it's an opportunity not to be missed. That was the spirit among alumni who attended their 25th and 50th class reunions at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York in June.
Banquet rooms with luscious buffets echoed with laughter and surprise as alumni from the classes of 1979 and 1959 arrived. Everyone searched for familiar faces. There were hugs and kisses and conversations that ran the gamut, from who got married to who went into solo practice to who was trying to get out from under managed care.
"Some people you recognize even after 50 years," said Gabriel P. Gregoratos, M.D. '54, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Some, like Albert J. Kellert, M.D. '54, a retired dermatologist from Hollywood, Fla., didn't recognize anyone. "I don't know anybody here," said Dr. Kellert, who retired in 1996. But he really didn't mind, since coming to New York gives him a chance to catch up on theater.
Irving Katz, M.D. '54, didn't have to travel far to attend the reunion; he moved to New York from Phoenix after his wife died. "There are a lot of things for a widowed individual to do," said Dr. Katz, who retired from ophthalmology in 1985. Herve M. Byron, M.D. '54, also a retired ophthalmologist, said he is not even close to retiring. "Let's retire the word ‘retire,'" said Dr. Byron, who teaches and consults on instrumentation for refractive surgical products for corneal disease. "I'm flunking retirement."
Retirement is the last thing on Dr. Ronald Brown, Sr.'s mind. The gastroenterologist from Augusta, Ga., and alum from the Class of 1979 is more concerned about how to cope with managed care while seeing two sons through medical school and a third through dental school. "I want them to see what happens when they apply themselves," he said, smiling at Ronald, 21, Marcus, 20, and Joshua, 13. The three young men, along with his wife Mary, joined him at the reunion. "Medicine is still a good job and still in demand as long as people are living with disease," Dr. Brown said. "You'll always have rewards because you'll have the satisfaction of helping people." But Mary, who is her husband's practice manager, bemoaned the frustration of managed care. "I wish managed care would go away so we could go back to treating patients," she said.
While no one escapes the grip of managed care, Moira Shea, M.D. '79, a pediatrician, and husband William J. Wittman, M.D. '79, an internist, have successfully removed themselves from big city medicine by living and practicing in Falmouth, Mass. They like the familiarity and comfort of being in a small town, even though people often stop them in the supermarket for free medical advice. "You're known in town," Dr. Wittman explained. "You give lots of free consults." Giving free medical advice is worth the reward of living a slower, quieter life, Drs. Shea and Wittman agreed. In return, patients may give them homemade cakes or cookies, although they've been known to express their gratitude in more unusual ways, said Dr. Wittman. "I treat a local fisherman," he says, "who leaves fresh fish on my doorstep."