100 Years Young: Dr. Morris Shapiro to be Honored
A special birthday celebration for Morris J. Shapiro, M.D., will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, in Helen Wood Hall, Room 1W501. Shapiro, who has been practicing medicine in Rochester since 1946, turns 100 years old this week.
A professor of Emergency Medicine and professor emeritus of Surgery, Shapiro is the oldest active faculty member at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He still participates in the education of residents and medical students, working a few days a week at the Medical Center and the EM offices at Corporate Woods. He continues to attend lectures and grand rounds.
“The wealth of knowledge Dr. Shapiro brings to the University, the Emergency Medicine faculty, and the residents and students he teaches is invaluable,” said Michael F. Kamali, M.D., chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. “His passion for medicine and his philosophy of compassionately caring for each patient continues to inform how we practice.”
A Rochester native, Shapiro received a full scholarship and attended the University of Rochester as an undergrad in the first class on River Campus. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in just three years with a bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1933, using his fourth year to earn a master’s in chemistry. He went on to attend medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, graduating in 1938. He began practicing medicine as a military surgeon in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving in Africa and Italy.
Shapiro came back to Rochester and worked at Rochester General, Genesee and Strong Memorial hospitals. He served as a general surgeon in the URMC Department of Surgery until his “retirement” 30 years ago, when he began work in Emergency Medicine.* In celebration of his 100th birthday, Dr. Shapiro has created the endowed Miriam F. and Morris J. Shapiro M.D. Resident Growth and Education Award. This award will be given to a resident who exemplifies a passion for learning and a dedication to growth in the knowledge of the Emergency Department. If you are interested in celebrating the legacy of Dr. Shapiro and the growth of the Emergency Department by contributing to his endowed fund, please contact Charice Hoyt-Davis at (585) 276-5169.