Tuesday, July 3, 2012

In praise of a great humanist




April 2, 2012

YJHM

As much as I am honored I am equally humbled to have the opportunity to write a few words in praise of this great man.

Howard once told me that he loved to read Ralph Waldo Emerson. Like Emerson he was an idealist and like Emerson he spoke his mind. His personable nature, his wide range of knowledge in philosophy and literature and of course in medicine instructed and entertained as he articulated clearly with passion and sincerity. Most of all, I enjoyed the essays where he went against the grain in his desire to provoke a response in the reader.

Howard will always be remembered for his unswerving dedication to reminding doctors of the importance of preserving the human factor in medicine—an issue that medical educators are beginning to understand.

I will miss Howard very much.

He frequently would send me a short email after reading one of my pieces in Connecticut Medicine medical journal.  The more I railed against the forces that diminished the human factor in medicine the more he encouraged me.  Coming from someone who I had admired greatly for years, his encouragement meant a lot to me, and I often told him so.

I will miss Howard very much.

Edward J. Volpintesta MD


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