A tribute to Black physician in history at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine
United States of America (Press Release) May 16, 2008 --
The Student National Medical Association(SNMA), the Boricuo Health Organization (BHO), and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM) commemorated the Black History Month by paying tribute to the Pioneer African American physicians on February 16, 2006 in Riklis Auditorium. Dr Marie-Ange Tardieu, who graduated from the Albert Einstein Medical school in 1985, was the key note speaker at this event.
Dr. Tardieu accepted our invitation without hesitation. She related this event to wonderful memories at AECOM, a place she has come to call her home. She reminisced that her interest in medical history started here at Einstein. Having decided on plastic surgery as her specialty during her junior year, Dr. Jean Cook, the Dean of students at the time, assigned Dr. Tardieu to Dr. Stanley Levenson who acted in tandem with Dr Michael Lewin. These encounters with Dr. Levenson and Dr. Lewin turned out to be medical historical sessions. “There were books to be read, names and dates to be recalled, and articles to be reviewed.” While other former students viewed these sessions as “hot seats,” Dr. Tardieu viewed them as an opportunity. She told us that it was Dr. Levenson who instilled in her a love for researching into the history of medicine.
Dr. Tardieu subsequently obtained her training in Plastic Surgery at Georgetown University Hospital under the tutelage of Dr. John William Little III. She told us that Dr. Little also stressed the need for physicians to be knowledgeable, not only about their patients’ heritage, but also about Medical history; Dr. Little gave to Dr. Tardieu another powerful gift: a book entitled “The History of Surgery.” Dr Tardieu consequently became an avid student of the history of medicine. Her research has taken her everywhere physicians had made significant contributions to the rise of medicine in the known world. She made countless numbers of trips to Paris, Tuscany, Rome, Verona and Spain. She reminisced about trips in Padova, Cordova, Bologna, Portugal and the Holy Land. She delighted herself also in the winding streets of Assisi, Siena and Lucca surveying the history of the Nurses. The Louvre, the Vatican, l’Hotel Dieu, La Salpetriere and Necker has been scrutinized by her. For the past 2 years, she had the opportunity to research at the Sorbonne and the National Institute of Health (NIH), and to meet other world scholars devoted to research on her subject of interest.
Dr. Tardieu’s research spanned over 5 Millenia surveying physicians and nurses at work in history from the primitive societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Africa to the 21st century in America and Europe. Here in America, Dr. Tardieu also spent countless numbers of hours at the Harvey Cushing Library at Yale, at Yivo Institute, at the Academies of medicine in both NYC and Wahington D.C., and at AECOM which she mentioned has been a key resource for her project.
Although Dr Tardieu made a number of cross references relating to the Jewish Physicians during her presentation, her focus remained honoring Black Physicians in history. She started her presentation by illustrating the practice of medicine in the primitive societies. She reminded us that whichever historian you read, Medicine evolved out of superstition. All the theories, she told us pointed the origin of medical practice from heaven or from another world. She then introduced the role played by God, other major and minor gods, Imotep, Aesculapius and Hippocrates in the medical reformation. Then, she went on to introduce the medical practice of the native Africans as it was practiced in the African continent, and proceeded to illustrate their dislocation to the New World. She spoke about their life, their history, their struggles, sorrow and about their medical practice in the New World.
Dr. Tardieu then elaborated on the heroism of pioneer Black Medicine Men like Toussaint Louverture, and other prominent Black physicians like Dr. James Still, Dr. James Durham, and Dr. Dan Hale Williams. She honored Dr. Williams as being the first physician in America who founded the first hospital for the care of Black patients at a time where Blacks had no access to hospital beds. Dr Williams was also the first physician who founded a school to educate Black females in the nursing profession at a time where no school in Chicago was willing to educate Blacks in the nursing profession. She then identified the fact that it was Dr. Williams who was the first American surgeon who performed the first successful open heart surgery in America on a patient who sustained a stab wound to the chest with involvement of the heart. She signaled that at the time Dr. Williams performed that procedure, there was only one doctor in England who had done such operation, and Dr. Williams was not even aware of it.
Then, she honored Dr. Percy Julian. Dr. Julian, she stated, was a paragon of knowledge in chemistry, who synthesized and made synthetic cortisone available to the public at large.According to her, it was Dr. Julian who synthesized physostigmine which was used in the treatment of glaucoma.
Dr. Charles Drew was then honored for his research in plasma transfusion and his contribution to the creation of the Blood Bank and of the Red Cross in America. Dr. Dave Hershey, in turn, was honored as being the first Black to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine and physiology in 1969 for his work in molecular biology. Dr. Hershey, she signaled, was the first doctor and scientist who determined in 1962 that DNA was indeed the genetic material. Then honor was paid to Dr. Benjamin Carson, who has been the chief of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins since 1984. Dr. Carson, she claimed, became the most celebrated neurosurgeon when he performed the first world successful separation of Siamese twins who were attached via their skull and spinal canal. Dr. Carson was also honored as being the first surgeon in the world who performed the first in-utero operation on twins to relieve increased intracranial pressure caused by hydrocephalus.
Last, but not least, Dr. Tardieu recognized many other Black physicians including but not limited to Dr. Martin Delany, Dr. Alexander T. Augusta, Dr. James McCune Smith, Dr. Yvan Taylor, Dr. Henry Hinton, but she also emphasized that many more Black physicians have made other significant contributions to the rise of medicine in both America and the World at large. In her closing remarks, she stated the following:
“I hope that you will all agree that the best way to honor these wonderful pioneer physicians is to follow in their footsteps. With perseverance, good industry, good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, we can all continue the tradition that Dr. Williams, Dr. Carson, Dr. Hershey, Dr. Julian and the like had laid down for our safekeeping. History has its own way to stamp such physicians or any individuals who has made such grand contributions for the “common good” as “great.” Although there were many more Black physicians or other Black individuals in that category, the ones that I mentioned are definitely among the great.”
After her closing remarks, Dr Tardieu thanked the medical school and everyone who was present; she made particular reference to Dr. Sandra McCalla, Einstein 83, who had traveled from afar to attend her presentation. She likewise honored and praised Dr Alan Ross from Columbia University who has been the pioneer physician and humanitarian who introduced standard medical care in Kosovo, in Russia and who is currently settling a trauma center in the Dominican Republic.
Dr. Tardieu was then honored with a plaque by the president and vice president of the SNMA and by the BHO for her work and her contribution to the Black History Month. A small reception followed where Dr Tardieu had the chance to chat with those students who attended the key note address, and to answer specific questions related to her research.
Dr. Tardieu has written three books: The Journey to the 21st Century (Doctors and Nurses in History), The Journey to Albert Einstein, and Critical Days which are currently in print.
The SNMA
Dr. Tardieu accepted our invitation without hesitation. She related this event to wonderful memories at AECOM, a place she has come to call her home. She reminisced that her interest in medical history started here at Einstein. Having decided on plastic surgery as her specialty during her junior year, Dr. Jean Cook, the Dean of students at the time, assigned Dr. Tardieu to Dr. Stanley Levenson who acted in tandem with Dr Michael Lewin. These encounters with Dr. Levenson and Dr. Lewin turned out to be medical historical sessions. “There were books to be read, names and dates to be recalled, and articles to be reviewed.” While other former students viewed these sessions as “hot seats,” Dr. Tardieu viewed them as an opportunity. She told us that it was Dr. Levenson who instilled in her a love for researching into the history of medicine.
Dr. Tardieu subsequently obtained her training in Plastic Surgery at Georgetown University Hospital under the tutelage of Dr. John William Little III. She told us that Dr. Little also stressed the need for physicians to be knowledgeable, not only about their patients’ heritage, but also about Medical history; Dr. Little gave to Dr. Tardieu another powerful gift: a book entitled “The History of Surgery.” Dr Tardieu consequently became an avid student of the history of medicine. Her research has taken her everywhere physicians had made significant contributions to the rise of medicine in the known world. She made countless numbers of trips to Paris, Tuscany, Rome, Verona and Spain. She reminisced about trips in Padova, Cordova, Bologna, Portugal and the Holy Land. She delighted herself also in the winding streets of Assisi, Siena and Lucca surveying the history of the Nurses. The Louvre, the Vatican, l’Hotel Dieu, La Salpetriere and Necker has been scrutinized by her. For the past 2 years, she had the opportunity to research at the Sorbonne and the National Institute of Health (NIH), and to meet other world scholars devoted to research on her subject of interest.
Dr. Tardieu’s research spanned over 5 Millenia surveying physicians and nurses at work in history from the primitive societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Africa to the 21st century in America and Europe. Here in America, Dr. Tardieu also spent countless numbers of hours at the Harvey Cushing Library at Yale, at Yivo Institute, at the Academies of medicine in both NYC and Wahington D.C., and at AECOM which she mentioned has been a key resource for her project.
Although Dr Tardieu made a number of cross references relating to the Jewish Physicians during her presentation, her focus remained honoring Black Physicians in history. She started her presentation by illustrating the practice of medicine in the primitive societies. She reminded us that whichever historian you read, Medicine evolved out of superstition. All the theories, she told us pointed the origin of medical practice from heaven or from another world. She then introduced the role played by God, other major and minor gods, Imotep, Aesculapius and Hippocrates in the medical reformation. Then, she went on to introduce the medical practice of the native Africans as it was practiced in the African continent, and proceeded to illustrate their dislocation to the New World. She spoke about their life, their history, their struggles, sorrow and about their medical practice in the New World.
Dr. Tardieu then elaborated on the heroism of pioneer Black Medicine Men like Toussaint Louverture, and other prominent Black physicians like Dr. James Still, Dr. James Durham, and Dr. Dan Hale Williams. She honored Dr. Williams as being the first physician in America who founded the first hospital for the care of Black patients at a time where Blacks had no access to hospital beds. Dr Williams was also the first physician who founded a school to educate Black females in the nursing profession at a time where no school in Chicago was willing to educate Blacks in the nursing profession. She then identified the fact that it was Dr. Williams who was the first American surgeon who performed the first successful open heart surgery in America on a patient who sustained a stab wound to the chest with involvement of the heart. She signaled that at the time Dr. Williams performed that procedure, there was only one doctor in England who had done such operation, and Dr. Williams was not even aware of it.
Then, she honored Dr. Percy Julian. Dr. Julian, she stated, was a paragon of knowledge in chemistry, who synthesized and made synthetic cortisone available to the public at large.According to her, it was Dr. Julian who synthesized physostigmine which was used in the treatment of glaucoma.
Dr. Charles Drew was then honored for his research in plasma transfusion and his contribution to the creation of the Blood Bank and of the Red Cross in America. Dr. Dave Hershey, in turn, was honored as being the first Black to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine and physiology in 1969 for his work in molecular biology. Dr. Hershey, she signaled, was the first doctor and scientist who determined in 1962 that DNA was indeed the genetic material. Then honor was paid to Dr. Benjamin Carson, who has been the chief of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins since 1984. Dr. Carson, she claimed, became the most celebrated neurosurgeon when he performed the first world successful separation of Siamese twins who were attached via their skull and spinal canal. Dr. Carson was also honored as being the first surgeon in the world who performed the first in-utero operation on twins to relieve increased intracranial pressure caused by hydrocephalus.
Last, but not least, Dr. Tardieu recognized many other Black physicians including but not limited to Dr. Martin Delany, Dr. Alexander T. Augusta, Dr. James McCune Smith, Dr. Yvan Taylor, Dr. Henry Hinton, but she also emphasized that many more Black physicians have made other significant contributions to the rise of medicine in both America and the World at large. In her closing remarks, she stated the following:
“I hope that you will all agree that the best way to honor these wonderful pioneer physicians is to follow in their footsteps. With perseverance, good industry, good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, we can all continue the tradition that Dr. Williams, Dr. Carson, Dr. Hershey, Dr. Julian and the like had laid down for our safekeeping. History has its own way to stamp such physicians or any individuals who has made such grand contributions for the “common good” as “great.” Although there were many more Black physicians or other Black individuals in that category, the ones that I mentioned are definitely among the great.”
After her closing remarks, Dr Tardieu thanked the medical school and everyone who was present; she made particular reference to Dr. Sandra McCalla, Einstein 83, who had traveled from afar to attend her presentation. She likewise honored and praised Dr Alan Ross from Columbia University who has been the pioneer physician and humanitarian who introduced standard medical care in Kosovo, in Russia and who is currently settling a trauma center in the Dominican Republic.
Dr. Tardieu was then honored with a plaque by the president and vice president of the SNMA and by the BHO for her work and her contribution to the Black History Month. A small reception followed where Dr Tardieu had the chance to chat with those students who attended the key note address, and to answer specific questions related to her research.
Dr. Tardieu has written three books: The Journey to the 21st Century (Doctors and Nurses in History), The Journey to Albert Einstein, and Critical Days which are currently in print.
The SNMA
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