This letter was jointly written by me (Steven Lin) and my colleagues in an attempt to express, however inadequately, our deep appreciation of the nominee, who has been our mentor and professor for the full extent of our time in medical school. He is an incomparably brilliant man – outstanding in his seemingly infinite knowledge of doctoring, of patient care, and of the teaching and mentorship of medical students. He exemplifies the profound dedication to teaching and authentic caring that is most fundamental to the practice of medicine. His ceaseless advocacy for students, his tireless care for patients, and his overriding concern for the quality of our education make him invaluable and irreplaceable.

Our medical school clearly contains many remarkable, world class physicians, yet none stand out as the superb educator and compassionate advocator that you have in our nominee. He is our finest clinical educator, a physician with a remarkable aptitude for patient analysis and observation, who is second to none when it comes to teaching both the basic and finer points of the physical examination. He is a connoisseur of skilled patient care, always up to date on new medical literature, a disciple of lifelong medical learning and a paragon of the art and science of medicine. He has advocated for students academically, making sure the classroom is a pleasant environment for all of us by ironing any possible unpleasantness with a deft, just and expert hand. He is, and always will be, the heart and soul of our school – the icon of what it means to be called to this profession.

There is no one more dedicated to the education and betterment of medical students. If our university were to take a poll of current students and alumni of their top five medical school professors ever, there is no question that he will be at the very top. For decades of graduates from our school, he is the epitome of integrity, mentorship and humanism in medicine – the mark by which all others are judged. He has set a standard that an entire generation of physicians uses to guide their professional, personal and civic lives.

Books and lectures and board exams do not a physician make – it is also the love, care and guidance of our mentors. Beyond clinical training, he inspires us to approach the betterment of human health beyond the conventional role of a physician. Four years ago, while volunteering in the local community, a group of medical students found a uniquely diverse population of immigrants who were without access to health care due to a lack of health insurance and an inability to speak English. When they approached the school administration with an idea to start a student-run free clinic, they initially received little support and guidance. Having practiced medicine in this area for many years, our nominee was well aware of the need the students wanted to address and became their lead advisor. This endeavor was painfully difficult at times but he provided unwavering support throughout the process. Today, the clinic has served literally thousands of patients who would otherwise be without health care, and has become the model for other student-run free clinics throughout the country.

Our nominee is the best example of skillfulness, compassion, knowledge and strong ethics we have seen in any physician. He is wise, comforting, disarming, and his knowledge limitless. He makes you feel like a true colleague, whether you are a first year medical student or a seasoned attending. He acknowledges both the strengths and weaknesses of our profession and encourages us, as the younger generation, to move it in the right direction. He has always stood out as a haven, our beacon and a champion of students. The best educators leave a piece of themselves with their students, and his reflection can be seen in all of us. Every interaction we have with a patient is colored, in one way or another, by something we have learned from him. He is the doctor that we all want to be.

What distinguishes him is his great heart, his fierce devotion to teaching, his courage in facing down injustice with regards to how some students are treated, and his unconditional willingness to make personal sacrifices for us. When a classmate was in her third trimester of pregnancy, he averted precipitation into eclampsia by catching her gestational hypertension before her doctors did. He was able to take her blood pressure three different ways to confirm his diagnosis, and then contacted her doctors to admit her for induction that very same day. For this student and many others, he is not just the ultimate teacher, but a hero.

No one incident could possibly sum up the kinds of actions he has undertaken in the best interests of his students and patients on a moment to moment basis, with infinite love and care, for over 40 years. He is far more than a professor – he is a great humanitarian, a treasure from whose wisdom and kindness two generations of medical students have benefited. The AMSA president at my school said this: “With my knowledge of AMSA and its aims, our nominee embodies the spirit and goals of our education to be leaders in the field of medicine and to serve everyone with the highest quality health care, while managing the dignity, respect, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of our patients. I strongly support his nomination for the National Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence.”

Why does he care so much? I think one reason might be that, for him, the medical students are more than just medical students. They are to him like an extension of his own family. For him, teaching medicine is more than a profession – it is a way of life, a lifetime avocation, and a means of service to humanity. He is the most caring, humane, compassionate, courageous physician and mentor we have ever encountered or could ever hope to encounter.

He is perhaps the greatest human being we have ever known.

Sincerely,
Students United in Support of Elliott Wolfe

Steven Lin, MS2
Stanford University School of Medicine