On the privilege of being a scientist and educator

Dr. David Guzick, M.D., Ph.D.

December 31, 2007

My last newsletter, an essay on medicine as a privilege, ended with a call to readers for their thoughts on the privilege of being a scientist and/or educator.

I received some truly wonderful responses, and am honored to present them here:

Jeffrey M. Lyness, MD
Professor and Associate Chair for Education, Dept. of Psychiatry
Imagine a job that lets you draw on all of your skills as a clinician and researcher – and that challenges and inspires you to deepen your mastery on a daily basis. Imagine that your line of work allows you to spend lots of time in the company of enthusiastic, ambitious adults early in their careers – and to help transform them from smart, capable lay persons to experts and leaders in the field. Imagine being stimulated to articulate your vision for the future of your profession – and to develop this vision together with the people who will be that very future. But this is no fantasy tale – these are the privileges we all share as teachers and stewards of our educational programs in medicine and science.

Jon Mink, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, and Pediatrics
I have had an extraordinary teaching/educational experience recently with one of our medical students. I have been caring for a little girl who suffered a brainstem stroke under the most tragic of circumstances. Jennie Riehl (class of 2009) was a third year medical student on the Child Neurology service when I was attending 5-6 weeks ago. Even after her 2 week rotation, she stayed involved with this child and her family, often rounding with me when she has a break from her other responsibilities. I have had many long discussions with Jennie about how to present bad news, the importance of compassion and kindness, and the validity of our own emotional responses to such tragic circumstances. I believe that we learn more by teaching than we do by being taught. I always learn from our students, and I have learned so much from this one extraordinary young person. I can think of no greater privilege than to teach and learn from bright, motivated, and compassionate students like Jennie. And there is no greater reward than the simple "thank you" from a student who I have taught.

Mark Noble, PhD
Professor of Biomedical Genetics
Imagine this. You are walking along the beach and you find a mermaid trapped in a net, or perhaps a genie trapped in a lamp. You free her or him, and you are given one wish. What about a wish to be able to work your whole life surrounded by smart people who will help you become smarter - and hopefully wiser – every day? To be allowed to spend your life working on puzzles that are infinitely complex but at the same time solvable? To be immersed in the infinite beauty of life and to be given the freedom to dive deep into this ocean of wonder? To be unshackled from the bondage of superstition? And to be part of a tradition of thought that enabled us to be free of the caves, to harness fire, and to see ourselves as at home in the universe because of the action of natural laws we can understand? A tradition that has performed real miracles – such as the conquering of diseases that used to lay waste to large portions of the population. And to live in the never-ending conviction that this tradition will continue – and you are allowed to be one of the people who adds a brick or two to this never-ending road of discovery? And, oh yes, you get students and colleagues whose curiosity and smiles when they achieve that special moment of new insight - that moment when the fog rolls back and you can see the sun - continues to keep your own mind agile and active. And you get to do this while living in a special Never-Never Land where you can nurture the endless curiosity and sense of wonder of a child while carrying out actions that may lead to enormous good for generations to come? Where every day you have the possibility of learning something, to put some pieces of the puzzle together in a new way, so that – for just a moment – you have the experience of knowing something that no one else in the world knows? And then you get to share that new knowledge with your closest friends - who may in fact show you why you’ve drawn the wrong conclusion and then set you on the path of a correct one, where you can share the joy of revealing this new insight together? Privilege is a small word to describe the opportunity to live one’s life in this way.

Ed Puzas, PhD
Professor of Orthopaedics in the Center for Musculoskeletal Research
“Privilege and Responsibility: Two Cornerstones of a Research Scientist”
For many of us in biomedical research, we don't often take the time to reflect on two key aspects of our mission: the privilege of being a scientist and the responsibility that comes with it.

Privilege: In the end, the goal of all biomedical research is to eliminate, or at least reduce, the burden of diseases in people. Human health is the most precious of gifts and the one thing we all strive to maintain. To be entrusted with the task of bettering health for all men and women defines a purpose that most other jobs can not match. But sometimes we lose sight of the real goal. We sometimes feel we are in competition with other scientists. We complain that there is not enough money in the research coffers to support our efforts. We agonize over the grants and papers that we struggle to submit. It goes on and on to the point where the big picture has disappeared and we become stalled in microscopic concerns that stifle our labors. One escape from this trap is to stop, take a deep breath and appreciate that our job is really a great privilege. In what other profession will you find all people, collectively, wishing us to succeed?

Extending this thinking a bit farther, who really is invested in our advancements? It is not the journal editor or the study section grant reviewer. It is all men and women. Maybe it is these people that we should work to get on our side.

Responsibility: Biomedical research has many layers of responsibility. One of these that the general public probably doesn't think much about is scientific integrity--the integrity to hold one’s work up to detailed scrutiny. In few other professions can dishonesty be hidden for as long as it can in research. There are examples of careers being made, grants being funded and papers being published from scientists with a deceitful approach. Eventually, with time these untrustworthy individuals are identified but in the interim much harm can be done. And so, the responsibility of being unconditionally honest must be at the top of a scientist's nature.

Thus, privilege and responsibility, in many ways, define the traits that make a good scientist. As in any profession where the stakes are large only those researchers that are guided by the highest of standards will truly make a contribution to the needs of us all.

Robert Rose, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology
Biomedical research truly is a grand adventure, and perhaps the greatest privilege afforded to those who elect to join the effort is having the freedom to follow one's curiosity wherever it may lead, for with persistence and a bit of luck, such freedom can lead to the discovery of something never before known. Though discovery alone can be rewarding, a far greater reward lies in the knowledge that one's efforts, however small, and whether made individually or as part of a larger group, may ultimately lead to an improvement in the lives of others.

Bob Scala, PhD
President, SMD Alumni Council
Reflecting on my years as a scientist in a multi-national corporation, I found my greatest satisfaction and probably most lasting contribution was mentoring of young scientists. The research and the publications help to establish one’s credentials, but the guidance given to young scientists has the lasting effect. I consider them my legacy and my reward for over 35 years in the private sector.

Peter Szilagyi, MD
Professor of Pediatrics and Community & Preventive Medicine
I am a clinical and health services researcher, and I love it! Although lifelong research is a daunting career, research brings to me a level of joy that complements my clinical, educational, and advocacy endeavors. Here are my 5 joys of research: First, research is a creative process, through which new ideas emerge, new strategies pop up, and novel ways for improving health care arise. Evaluating these new ideas is exciting. Second, research offers colleagueship. My research colleagues are my teammates and soul-mates. Third, through research I have experienced the thrill (and sometimes anxiety) of being mentored, and the immense satisfaction of mentoring others. I call this the “circle of academic life.” Fourth, research has provided me with a mechanism to make a difference in the lives of children and families at a population level, beyond the walls of primary care practice. And research has challenged me to make a difference by studying important issues, and by making sure that study findings are actually used to improve health care. · And finally, research has provided me with both roots and wings. Research forces me to think about my roots-- what aspects of pediatrics I care enough about to work long hours and many years in order to achieve small successes. And research gives me wings—it offers me a chance to be creative, to learn from and work with colleagues, to mentor others, and maybe, just maybe, to make a difference.

To all my readers on this final day of 2007, I send my warmest wishes for a great New Year’s Day, and a wonderful year ahead.

Meliora,

David S. Guzick, MD, PhD
Dean, School of Medicine and Dentistry
University of Rochester

Dean's Newsletter

Posted May 28, 2009:
A Fond Farewell to the University of Rochester

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