Rise and Fall

I first met Dr. S when he was 87 years old. He had been referred to primary care by a urologist, who thought that someone Dr. S's age ought to have a general physician. I was immediately impressed by Dr. S's appearance. He was short but stood erect, deliberate in his movements, dressed impeccably in tweed sport coat and cap, and almost completely bald. He spoke slowly, with a slight accent. I tried not to stereotype him, but I could not help but be reminded of an old Zen master.

Dr. S was from Korea, where he had been a physician. He had gone to medical school in the United States and then returned to Korea. He eventually became the head of a large hospital in Seoul. When the Communists occupied Seoul during the Korean War, he was tried in a “people's court” and expelled from the hospital. He and his family fled the city and lived as refugees for several years. During that time, Dr. S organized medical services for other refugees. After the war, he returned to Seoul and directed the rehabilitation of his hospital, which had been plundered and damaged. When the restoration of the hospital was completed, Dr. S retired from medicine.

The elderly physician calmly told me of these events at our initial visit, with obvious pride in his accomplishments and resignation over the events that had disrupted his life and his career. He seemed upbeat and optimistic, however, as he continued his story. Dr. S had emigrated to the United States after his retirement and had become a naturalized citizen. His wife had died several years before we met, and he was living nearby with his daughter. He had two sons, one of whom was a physician in the U.S. military, and two other …