Chapter 06: Survivorship: A New Section of Pediatrics I
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Description
In this chapter Dr. Jaffe explains that he was recruited to MD Anderson to replace Dr. Wataru Walter Sutow because of his deep experience in pediatric oncology. He also notes that he left Harvard because of the limited opportunities for promotion.
Identifier
JaffeN_02_20120817_C06
Publication Date
8-17-2012
City
Houston, Texas
Interview Session
Topics Covered
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - Building the Institution; The Clinician; Joining MD Anderson; Influences from People and Life Experiences; The Researcher; The Clinician; Contributions; Building/Transforming the Institution; Definitions, Explanations, Translations
Transcript
Norman Jaffe, MD :
No harm in that.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
I’m Tacey Ann Rosolowski, and as Dr. Jaffe mentioned, we are sitting here today. This is for our second interview session, and the time is 10:30, and this interview is taking place in the Reading Room of the Research Medical Library.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
+ Dr. Jaffe, you had mentioned that you would like to sketch the history of the Department of Pediatrics since you arrived at MD Anderson in 1978, so I wonder if you would start however you want with that particular history. Norman Jaffe, MD I’m very happy to do that. I was recruited into the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Department of Pediatrics following Dr. Wataru Sutow’s retirement. He actually phoned me and asked me to take his position over here, and since I’d reached what I considered to be the limits of my progression at Harvard Medical School and also at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the opportunity was in fact ideal.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Do you know why he contacted you in particular?
Norman Jaffe, MD :
I think that he was very enamored with the research that I was doing at the MD Anderson Cancer Center [corrected to: Sidney Farber Cancer Center]. In fact, he frequently contacted me. He always used to call me. “Young man, what are you doing now?” and so on.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
And what was the area in particular you were focusing on?
Norman Jaffe, MD :
Solid tumors in pediatrics. He was a very fine gentleman. His interest in conchology—that is the collection of shells—was throughout the world, but in particular he knew I was from South Africa, and he said South African shores had a very rich supply of shells, and he would one day like to go there. And in fact, he often asked me about it. But I think his major interest was in my work in pediatric oncology, so much so that he even asked me to edit a book on his behalf. He had already started the book, but he didn’t have sufficient time to complete it, and so I took over the reins and published [the] book. And incidentally, in that book, I dedicated it to Wataru Sutow, and my dedication stated as follows: “To Wataru Sutow, I knew him before I met him. I knew him from his publications.”
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
That’s wonderful. What was the name of that book that you edited for him?
Norman Jaffe, MD :
I think it’s called— I edited several books. I can’t remember exactly what the name was, but I think it’s called Solid Tumors in Pediatrics. And as I say, we continued to discuss things [ ] after eventually I did meet him. I met him at meetings and so on, and then when he was about to retire he phoned me and particularly asked me to step into his shoes because, as he said, he could think of no one else who would be the ideal candidate for this particular position. And for many reasons, in Boston particularly, as I reached the limits of what I considered my academic progression— Harvard is a very difficult situation, and I think you’ve got to wait for the individual above you to expire [or retire] before you will get his position, if you do in fact get his position. As a consequence and for many other reasons as well, after discussing it with my bride of thirty-two years at that stage, I decided to make the movement, and she was totally supportive. We did move, and it was in fact a very, very ideal situation, something that I’ve not indeed regretted.
Recommended Citation
Jaffe, Norman and Rosolowski, Tacey A. PhD, "Chapter 06: Survivorship: A New Section of Pediatrics I" (2012). Interview Chapters. 1144.
https://openworks.mdanderson.org/mchv_interviewchapters/1144
Conditions Governing Access
Open
