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Festschrift for Robert M. Zollinger, M.D.
The American Journal of Surgery 186 (2003) 203–204
Special article
Festschrift for Robert M. Zollinger, M.D. Ronald K. Tompkins, M.D.* Division of General Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, Box 956904, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6904, USA Manuscript received April 30, 2003
Abstract This Festschrift honors Dr. Robert M. Zollinger on the 100th anniversary of his birth, in recognition of his leadership in American surgery. Professor and chairman of surgery at Ohio State University from 1947 to 1974, Dr. Zollinger was a master of surgical technique and an influential educator. His landmark description of gastrinoma tumors and their clinical manifestations, known as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, began a new era of research into gastrointestinal peptides. The author of this preface is professor emeritus of surgery at UCLA School of Medicine and a former trainee of Dr. Robert M. Zollinger. © 2003 Excerpta Medica, Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Zollinger
“They should write on my tombstone: ‘Teacher, Surgeon, Soldier, and Farmer.’” —Robert M. Zollinger On September 4, 1903, Robert Milton Zollinger was born on a farm on the shores of Buckeye Lake in Ohio. To honor the 100th anniversary of his birth, his colleagues, trainees, friends, and family have contributed articles to this Festschrift issue that paint a broad and colorful picture of this challenging, innovative, and charismatic teacher. We can only speculate on the forces which drove this surgical dynamo to accomplish the great things that he did and to push him to the heights, indeed the pinnacle, of surgical greatness. His undergraduate and medical education were at Ohio State University. He served an internship under Dr. Harvey Cushing at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston and completed his surgical residency under Dr. Elliott Carr Cutler, first at the Lakeside Hospital of Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, and then at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. The latter institution must have been challenging to him in many ways. He was fond of saying, “The Harvard residents asked me, ‘What did they teach you at Ohio State, Zollinger, culture or agriculture?’ I told them, ‘Quiz me, you SOB’s, and find out!’ ” His devotion to Cutler, his mentor at both institutions,
* Corresponding author. Tel.: ⫹1-310-825-6846; fax: ⫹1-310-7941719 E-mail address: [email protected]
has been documented in a book written by Dr. Zollinger in 1988 [1]. After distinguished service in the Army Medical Corps during World War II, Dr. Zollinger was named professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at Ohio State University in 1947 and held this position with distinction until becoming professor emeritus in 1974. His influence on his trainees and his leadership role in American surgery have become legendary. His accomplishments helped transform the Ohio State University Hospital into one of the country’s leading medical centers. His landmark description of and subsequent research on gastrinoma tumors and their clinical manifestations, known as the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, opened a new era in research focusing on gastrointestinal peptides. This research has had far-reaching impact around the world and has led to vast numbers of discoveries in gastrointestinal physiology. As a master of surgical technique, Dr. Zollinger impressed upon his trainees the importance of attention to detail in every aspect of the care of the surgical patient. He was very much the model of the responsible surgeon who used consultants as necessary, but maintained his primary control of his patients’ courses until their recovery. He explained it this way to his residents: “No one asks your patient who read their EKG or their X-rays; they only ask, ‘Who operated on you?’” His many local, national, and international honors are too numerous to mention in their entirety, but his presidency of the American Surgical Association, chairmanship of the
0002-9610/03/$ – see front matter © 2003 Excerpta Medica, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0002-9610(03)00218-6
204
R.K. Tompkins / The American Journal of Surgery 186 (2003) 203–204
American Board of Surgery, and presidency of the American College of Surgeons are milestones in his illustrious surgical journey. An indication of his own motivation as a teacher and leader may be found in his reference to Cutler in the preface of his book: “The training of the young physician to become a general surgeon is one of the forms of human endeavor that, over a period of several years, remains closely related to the leadership principles of the chief of the service. Lucky indeed is the trainee whose chief requires sustained excellent clinical and research activities, as well as dedication to the teaching of junior associates” [2].
Although he died in 1992, The Big Z lives on in the daily activities of his students as they care for their patients. His spirit, devotion, and energy are remembered with great admiration and awe by those who were lucky indeed to be privileged to experience them first-hand—at the hands of the Maestro. References [1] Zollinger RM. Elliott Carr Cutler and the cloning of surgeons. Mount Kisco, NY: Futura, 1988. [2] Zollinger RM. Elliott Carr Cutler and the cloning of surgeons. Mount Kisco, NY: Futura, 1988, p vii.
Special article
Festschrift for Robert M. Zollinger, M.D. Ronald K. Tompkins, M.D.* Division of General Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, Box 956904, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6904, USA Manuscript received April 30, 2003
Abstract This Festschrift honors Dr. Robert M. Zollinger on the 100th anniversary of his birth, in recognition of his leadership in American surgery. Professor and chairman of surgery at Ohio State University from 1947 to 1974, Dr. Zollinger was a master of surgical technique and an influential educator. His landmark description of gastrinoma tumors and their clinical manifestations, known as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, began a new era of research into gastrointestinal peptides. The author of this preface is professor emeritus of surgery at UCLA School of Medicine and a former trainee of Dr. Robert M. Zollinger. © 2003 Excerpta Medica, Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Zollinger
“They should write on my tombstone: ‘Teacher, Surgeon, Soldier, and Farmer.’” —Robert M. Zollinger On September 4, 1903, Robert Milton Zollinger was born on a farm on the shores of Buckeye Lake in Ohio. To honor the 100th anniversary of his birth, his colleagues, trainees, friends, and family have contributed articles to this Festschrift issue that paint a broad and colorful picture of this challenging, innovative, and charismatic teacher. We can only speculate on the forces which drove this surgical dynamo to accomplish the great things that he did and to push him to the heights, indeed the pinnacle, of surgical greatness. His undergraduate and medical education were at Ohio State University. He served an internship under Dr. Harvey Cushing at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston and completed his surgical residency under Dr. Elliott Carr Cutler, first at the Lakeside Hospital of Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, and then at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. The latter institution must have been challenging to him in many ways. He was fond of saying, “The Harvard residents asked me, ‘What did they teach you at Ohio State, Zollinger, culture or agriculture?’ I told them, ‘Quiz me, you SOB’s, and find out!’ ” His devotion to Cutler, his mentor at both institutions,
* Corresponding author. Tel.: ⫹1-310-825-6846; fax: ⫹1-310-7941719 E-mail address: [email protected]
has been documented in a book written by Dr. Zollinger in 1988 [1]. After distinguished service in the Army Medical Corps during World War II, Dr. Zollinger was named professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at Ohio State University in 1947 and held this position with distinction until becoming professor emeritus in 1974. His influence on his trainees and his leadership role in American surgery have become legendary. His accomplishments helped transform the Ohio State University Hospital into one of the country’s leading medical centers. His landmark description of and subsequent research on gastrinoma tumors and their clinical manifestations, known as the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, opened a new era in research focusing on gastrointestinal peptides. This research has had far-reaching impact around the world and has led to vast numbers of discoveries in gastrointestinal physiology. As a master of surgical technique, Dr. Zollinger impressed upon his trainees the importance of attention to detail in every aspect of the care of the surgical patient. He was very much the model of the responsible surgeon who used consultants as necessary, but maintained his primary control of his patients’ courses until their recovery. He explained it this way to his residents: “No one asks your patient who read their EKG or their X-rays; they only ask, ‘Who operated on you?’” His many local, national, and international honors are too numerous to mention in their entirety, but his presidency of the American Surgical Association, chairmanship of the
0002-9610/03/$ – see front matter © 2003 Excerpta Medica, Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0002-9610(03)00218-6
204
R.K. Tompkins / The American Journal of Surgery 186 (2003) 203–204
American Board of Surgery, and presidency of the American College of Surgeons are milestones in his illustrious surgical journey. An indication of his own motivation as a teacher and leader may be found in his reference to Cutler in the preface of his book: “The training of the young physician to become a general surgeon is one of the forms of human endeavor that, over a period of several years, remains closely related to the leadership principles of the chief of the service. Lucky indeed is the trainee whose chief requires sustained excellent clinical and research activities, as well as dedication to the teaching of junior associates” [2].
Although he died in 1992, The Big Z lives on in the daily activities of his students as they care for their patients. His spirit, devotion, and energy are remembered with great admiration and awe by those who were lucky indeed to be privileged to experience them first-hand—at the hands of the Maestro. References [1] Zollinger RM. Elliott Carr Cutler and the cloning of surgeons. Mount Kisco, NY: Futura, 1988. [2] Zollinger RM. Elliott Carr Cutler and the cloning of surgeons. Mount Kisco, NY: Futura, 1988, p vii.