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Essay

Charles B. Hammond, MD'61, HS'61-'64, '66-'69
The Next Wave
The Next Wave
Excerpt

“. . . President Few was wise in choosing Dr. Wilburt Davison as the first dean of the Duke University School of Medicine in 1927. He filled out his core faculty with very young, bright, and motivated individuals . . . These bright young faculty went on to become the backbone of Duke University Medical Center -- caring, capable, amazingly hard-working -- willing to practice clinical medicine, teach, and do research at a pace far beyond that usually seen.

"As a student or resident, I remember faculty often hard at work late into the night and on weekends -- caring for patients, teaching students and residents, and doing serious research. A sense of family permeated the place. A family that worked together, taught, and learned while they all grew and developed. Not always peaceful, but always patient-centered.

"This place -- a small and young university -- got under your skin and made you want to be here and be a part of it.”

In This Essay
  • Remembering the first wave: Dedicated young faculty invigorate the newly founded medical school 
  • Current OB/GYN faculty living the legacy: Allen Addison, Andrew Berchuck, Elizabeth Livingston, Andra James, Amy Murtha, Alice Cooper 
  • The family factor: Why so many work so hard and give so much to make and keep Duke great
Download the full essay as a pdf file
Charles B. Hammond, MD'61, HS'61-'64, '66-'69
Biography
Charles Hammond joined the Duke faculty in 1968 and served as chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility from 1970 to 1980. In 1980 he became the E.C. Hamblen Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where he served until becoming chairman emeritus in 2002 but continuing as a professor in the department. An active member in his field, Hammond served as president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Gynecological Club, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and as director of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ad eundum). In 2003 he received the Leonard Palumbo Jr., MD, Faculty Achievement Award for compassionate patient care and excellence in the mentoring of young physicians.

The views expressed within each of these essays are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Duke University School of Medicine or Duke University Health System.