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Letter to Ronald Freeman
Richard L. Malvin writes: “Thank you for your interest in what a
physiologist is doing on entering the ninth decade of his life. In some
respects I am doing what I did for the past many decades. Although I am an
Emeritus Professor since turning 65 I still teach a bit but have removed
myself from research. I leave that to the younger generation who have more
difficulty in getting grants than my generation ever did.
“Why am I still engaged? While teaching medical students I found that many
are hardly skeptical of unverified claims. Our med students even began an
Alternative Medicine club in which they blindly accepted the assertions of a
wide variety of practitioners of alternative treatments. This seemed to me
to be the opposite of the scientific method, and what is more, dangerous for
their patients. As it is difficult to change the thinking of adults in their
mid twenties I elected to conduct a seminar course for sophomore
undergraduates in our Honors College. The title is The History of Medicine
and the Art of Humbug. It has been a rewarding experience for me and, I
believe, for the students, as it is the most popular of the seminars. We
discuss how early medicine turned into experimental and evidence based
medicine from a beginning of anecdotal and non-evidenced based medicine. I
must admit that meeting with young bright interested students once a week
for two hours keeps my spirits high. My only regret is that our Medical
School and probably many others pay no critical attention to fostering the
skeptical approach to medical claims. Therapeutic touch is part of many
hospital treatments. Why???
“What else am I doing? Enjoying life! I still play tennis regularly for
about 4 to 6 hours per week. Unfortunately, I find that the balls made today
dont fly off my racket as fast as the older balls, but the game is just as
much fun. My lovely wife of 58 years is also a tennis nut. We travel quite a
bit and in between we enjoy the cultural events of Ann Arbor: magnificent
concerts, plays, dance, and opera.
“You asked if I had any words of wisdom to pass along to my younger
colleagues. I am not sure that one can make such a broad statement. I can
only reflect back on my life and tell what worked for me. The first thing is
to select a mate who is truly a partner, who you sincerely love and respect.
That makes the unavoidable ups and downs of life acceptable. Next, be true
to yourself. If you are you will go through life with far fewer regrets than
otherwise. Respect all people with whom you interact. You will be respected
in turn. As for science do not be afraid to enter the unknown regions. They
are the most interesting and usually will result in you being rewarded for
your effort. And finally, be a skeptic. By that I do not mean you should
believe in nothing. I mean that when a strange claim is made, such as
therapeutic touch, or aura therapy, or whatever you should say, Show me the
evidence.
“I eagerly await your next letter to me when I turn ninety. You see, I am an
optimist.”
Letter to Julio Cruz
Joseph C Ross writes: “Thank you for your letter. I enjoyed hearing from
you. I was somewhat surprised the APS office knew about my 80th birthday. I
did receive the birthday card. I was reasonably active in the APS in the
earlier part of my career when I was very active in research and continued
with some co-workers after I moved into administration. I am enclosing a
copy of my curriculum vitae which will tell you more about my career, which
included research, practice of medicine (pulmonary) and administration, all
of which I enjoyed.
“I retired about eight years ago which gives me more time with my family
(four daughters, one son, and twelve grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren). My health has been good so we travel quite often. When
I was President of the American College of Physicians, three other members
of the A.C.P., the Executive Secretary of the organization and our wives
gave lectures in Mexico City, Lima, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. That
was a wonderful experience for us.”
“Thank you for your letter.” |
