Dr. Henry A. Moses, Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Executive Director of the Meharry Alumni Association
“ As we begin a New Year, we take this opportunity to reflect on the past year and plan for this one. Some of us make resolutions and do our best to stick to them. However, as time passes and activities grow stale many of our resolutions are abandoned. We find that we do not have the time or become bored with what we had so ardently vowed to do. However, when I see the young people with whom we work daily and listen to their hopes and dreams, I find renewal. That, to a large extent, is what keeps me motivated! It keeps me supporting Meharry .”
I AM very proud of Being a graduate of Meharry Medical College; one of the 4 historically black medical schools in the United States. When asked why does it exist, my response is always “ consider the history of this country. Medicine is challenging enough, without having to prove yourself based on the color of your skin. “
Our first class in Clinical Correlations on that Wednesday afternoon during freshman year, Dr. A. P. Johnson, Sr., stated “ First do no harm and 75% of the patients will get well without your intervention. So listen to the patient and honor the education you have been given.” This was perhaps the first Pearl of Wisdom given for our clinical education. Even prior to that first semester I was enrolled in a special summer course. Mrs. Fannie Cathey taught us medical vocabulary and the art of interviewing skills. Her patient and gentle character shared “that if for any reason we have a prejudice toward any patient, then it is our professional responsibility to NOT be their physician. “ These judgements can include race, creed, sexual orientation and appearance. Everyone loved Dr. Pulliam who taught neuroanatomy with his own creatively designed charts, which displayed the decussations of the nervous system. He was always available, even at 11 pm on a Saturday in the lab, asking “ Ms. Hines can I be of some help?” Dr. Joseph Galley, I believe was a Nobel Prize candidate and made biochemistry so much easier. Dr. Charles Proctor chief of pharmacology had such a bold and fascinating personality. A very learned man who had been a consultant for the Nuremberg Trials, in post-war Germany. One of his favorite statements “ No Bragg Just Fact!”, followed his many pearls of wisdom and knowledge. I could sit for hours in his office discussing a myriad of subjects. His popularity among the students sometimes surprised him. Senior Resident in Internal Medicine, Hubert Gaskin was meticulous and compassionate in teaching physical diagnosis from our Barbara Bates textbook. Dr. Edward Browne, a general surgeon always seemed to having a light sense of humor. His gentle reminder to be just that, “try to remember that geriatric patients have skin which is very sensitive and thin, so be gentle when you exam them and especially when inserting an IV” . Dr. McGruder was our professor in Obstetrics/Gynecology and also my personal physician. He was very authentic and possessed an amazing talent for creating beautiful hand carved art from wood. His raspy voice stated “ there is a book written on every subject, so it behooves you to read about finances and law, rather than hiring several people to run your practice and life”. Dr. Moses was my sponsor for work study during my medical education and in the last few years we have rekindled our professional relationship.
From my Heart Palace I AM very “Greatful” to Meharry for the philosophy “to share our wisdom and knowledge with the underserved communities of the world, especially those historically physician shortage areas.”
