Herb Fred: master clinician and teacher

I've never met Dr. Herb Fred but sometimes I feel as though I'm on teaching rounds with him when I read his articles in the Texas Heart Institute Journal. Now there's a new book, reviewed here, which is a collection of Herb Fred sayings. From the review:

In person, Dr. Fred is the curmudgeon who will always ask the question that you forgot, point out the physical finding that you overlooked, or note the subtle deficiencies in your clinical approach that differentiate between merely good medical care and excellent medical care. He is the angel on your shoulder who elicits guilt when you allow technology to make a diagnosis in your stead, and he is the talented teacher who bestows the skills that make that technology less necessary.

The loss of physicians of this kind is slowly creating an intellectual anemia in the profession. For this reason, a collection of his aphorisms is of value. The Best of Herb Fred, MD: His Insights, Observations, and Everyday Reminders offers a return to real “doctoring,” for it emphasizes professionalism, duty to your patient, and bedside diagnosis. This concise assemblage of advice will serve physicians in any field of medicine.

It might make a nice gift for a graduating student or resident.