Main description:

No one would have blamed Donald Seldin for running away. When he arrived at Southwestern Medical College in 1951, it was a collection of hastily repurposed military shacks creaking in the wind. On practically day one he became chair of the department of medicine-when the only other full-time professors departed.

By the time he stepped down thirty-six years later, Seldin had transformed a sleepy medical college into the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center-a powerhouse of research and patient care and an anchor of the city of Dallas. Raymond Greenberg, a physician-scholar, tells Seldin's story of perseverance and intellectual triumph. Drawing on interviews with Seldin's trainees and colleagues-and on Seldin's own words-Greenberg chronicles the life of the Brooklyn boy who became one of Texas's foremost citizens and taught decades of men and women to heal. A pioneering nephrologist, Seldin devoted his career to developing the specialty; educating students, residents, and fellows; caring for patients; and nurturing basic research.

Seldin was a wildcatter in the best sense. He declined the comfortable prestige of Harvard and Yale and instead embraced a worthy challenge with an unflagging sense of mission. Graceful and richly detailed, The Maestro of Medicine captures an inspiring life of achievement and service.

Contents:

Acknowledgments

1. Welcome to Big D
2. The Nickel Empire
3. Perfect Chemistry
4. War and Peace
5. A New Sheriff in Town
6. Talent Scout
7. Here's a Dime
8. The Triple Threat
9. Lab Partners
10. The Road to Stockholm
11. A University Worthy of the Department of Medicine
12. A Society Man
13. Go Forth and Prosper
14. Moral Authority
15. Life Partners
16. Joie de Vivre
17. The Final Class

Notes
Index