Lessons about the heart, of the heart, and from the heart: Remembering J. Willis Hurst

摘要

The heart is synonymous with Dr. J. Willis Hurst, who recently passed away at Emory University Hospital at the age of 90. Although he may be remembered most for the internationally known text, The Heart, first published in 1966, what I will remember most about him is what he taught me (and thousands of others) about cardiology and the heart, through an education of the heart genuinely from his heart.J. Willis Hurst was the last cardiology fellow to train with Paul Dudley White at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1948. He was the cardiologist and good friend of President Lyndon Johnson. He became the Chairman of Medicine at Emory at the age of 36, leading the department for the next 30 years. He was President of the American Heart Association from 1971 to 1972. During his 55-year career at Emory, he taught more than 5000 medical students and 2500 house officers. I had the honor and privilege of being among the thousands he profoundly impacted.