Dr. Fisher is Professor Emeritus of Dermatology at the University of Toronto Medical School. He graduated from the University of Geneva Medical School in Switzerland in 1954. He served in the Israel Defense Forces as a naval officer and after discharge was awarded a French Government Scholarship at the St. Louis Hospital in Paris in the Department of Dermatology, which was headed by Professor Degos.
In 1963 he moved to Calgary, Alberta, where he started the Division of Dermatology at the newly established Foothills Hospital. He moved to Israel in 1973 to head the Department of Dermatology at the Sheba Medical Centre in Tel-Hashomer, the largest hospital in Israel.
In 1976, he moved to the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto, where he was Chief of Dermatology until 1999, when he semi-retired and moved to Israel. He still sees patients and remains involved in teaching. He is the author of 75 scientific papers and co-author of a textbook on genital skin disorders.
He is a widower with three children, one of whom is a dermatologist.
Q. What would be your advice to a newly qualified doctor?
A. I’ve learned valuable lessons from several patients, but one patient is particularly memorable. She was a middle-aged woman with slight lupus erythematosus of her face, who was coming to see me week after week with the same questions, wanting to go over the same lab reports — which were normal. She kept forgetting all of my explanations from one visit to the next. On one very busy afternoon I told her, “Lady, you drive me crazy.” I will never forget the hurt and surprise on her face. She left and never came back. She was not aware she did anything wrong, and maybe I was the only one who could give her the assurance that she so badly needed.
This episode has haunted me ever since, but it taught me the most valuable lesson — never, ever, to lose my patience again, and I have made sure to heed this advice.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
A. It is from Harvey Blank, M.D. He said: “Don’t trust everything you read or accepted dogmas. Rely on your judgment after obtaining solid proofs.”
Q. What medical figure from history would you most like to have a drink with? Why?
A. Sir William Osler. It would be wonderful to be exposed to a phenomenal mind of astute observation and original thinking such as his.
Q. What are you most proud of in your personal life? Professional life?
A. I have never given a thought about pride in my personal life. I am really a very ordinary person.
In my professional life I am proud of serving twice on the hospital ship “HOPE,” bringing concepts of modern Canadian and American Medicine to Third-World countries, describing a few new entities in Dermatology, and being a co-author of a textbook on genital skin lesions.
Dr. Fisher is Professor Emeritus of Dermatology at the University of Toronto Medical School. He graduated from the University of Geneva Medical School in Switzerland in 1954. He served in the Israel Defense Forces as a naval officer and after discharge was awarded a French Government Scholarship at the St. Louis Hospital in Paris in the Department of Dermatology, which was headed by Professor Degos.
In 1963 he moved to Calgary, Alberta, where he started the Division of Dermatology at the newly established Foothills Hospital. He moved to Israel in 1973 to head the Department of Dermatology at the Sheba Medical Centre in Tel-Hashomer, the largest hospital in Israel.
In 1976, he moved to the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto, where he was Chief of Dermatology until 1999, when he semi-retired and moved to Israel. He still sees patients and remains involved in teaching. He is the author of 75 scientific papers and co-author of a textbook on genital skin disorders.
He is a widower with three children, one of whom is a dermatologist.
Q. What would be your advice to a newly qualified doctor?
A. I’ve learned valuable lessons from several patients, but one patient is particularly memorable. She was a middle-aged woman with slight lupus erythematosus of her face, who was coming to see me week after week with the same questions, wanting to go over the same lab reports — which were normal. She kept forgetting all of my explanations from one visit to the next. On one very busy afternoon I told her, “Lady, you drive me crazy.” I will never forget the hurt and surprise on her face. She left and never came back. She was not aware she did anything wrong, and maybe I was the only one who could give her the assurance that she so badly needed.
This episode has haunted me ever since, but it taught me the most valuable lesson — never, ever, to lose my patience again, and I have made sure to heed this advice.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
A. It is from Harvey Blank, M.D. He said: “Don’t trust everything you read or accepted dogmas. Rely on your judgment after obtaining solid proofs.”
Q. What medical figure from history would you most like to have a drink with? Why?
A. Sir William Osler. It would be wonderful to be exposed to a phenomenal mind of astute observation and original thinking such as his.
Q. What are you most proud of in your personal life? Professional life?
A. I have never given a thought about pride in my personal life. I am really a very ordinary person.
In my professional life I am proud of serving twice on the hospital ship “HOPE,” bringing concepts of modern Canadian and American Medicine to Third-World countries, describing a few new entities in Dermatology, and being a co-author of a textbook on genital skin lesions.
Dr. Fisher is Professor Emeritus of Dermatology at the University of Toronto Medical School. He graduated from the University of Geneva Medical School in Switzerland in 1954. He served in the Israel Defense Forces as a naval officer and after discharge was awarded a French Government Scholarship at the St. Louis Hospital in Paris in the Department of Dermatology, which was headed by Professor Degos.
In 1963 he moved to Calgary, Alberta, where he started the Division of Dermatology at the newly established Foothills Hospital. He moved to Israel in 1973 to head the Department of Dermatology at the Sheba Medical Centre in Tel-Hashomer, the largest hospital in Israel.
In 1976, he moved to the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto, where he was Chief of Dermatology until 1999, when he semi-retired and moved to Israel. He still sees patients and remains involved in teaching. He is the author of 75 scientific papers and co-author of a textbook on genital skin disorders.
He is a widower with three children, one of whom is a dermatologist.
Q. What would be your advice to a newly qualified doctor?
A. I’ve learned valuable lessons from several patients, but one patient is particularly memorable. She was a middle-aged woman with slight lupus erythematosus of her face, who was coming to see me week after week with the same questions, wanting to go over the same lab reports — which were normal. She kept forgetting all of my explanations from one visit to the next. On one very busy afternoon I told her, “Lady, you drive me crazy.” I will never forget the hurt and surprise on her face. She left and never came back. She was not aware she did anything wrong, and maybe I was the only one who could give her the assurance that she so badly needed.
This episode has haunted me ever since, but it taught me the most valuable lesson — never, ever, to lose my patience again, and I have made sure to heed this advice.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you have received and from whom?
A. It is from Harvey Blank, M.D. He said: “Don’t trust everything you read or accepted dogmas. Rely on your judgment after obtaining solid proofs.”
Q. What medical figure from history would you most like to have a drink with? Why?
A. Sir William Osler. It would be wonderful to be exposed to a phenomenal mind of astute observation and original thinking such as his.
Q. What are you most proud of in your personal life? Professional life?
A. I have never given a thought about pride in my personal life. I am really a very ordinary person.
In my professional life I am proud of serving twice on the hospital ship “HOPE,” bringing concepts of modern Canadian and American Medicine to Third-World countries, describing a few new entities in Dermatology, and being a co-author of a textbook on genital skin lesions.
