In Memoriam
SIU SOM mourns the loss of three founding faculty members who died this autumn.
All played fundamental roles in the development of the medical school and the curriculum, changing the face of medical education, focusing on what physicians need to know. They made indelible contributions to the current successes of SIU School of Medicine.
Dax Taylor, M.D.
Dr. Taylor, former executive associate dean for academic affairs, (Dean of Medical Education) died Nov. 29, 2011. He worked at SIU from July 1, 1972-September 30, 1980. He made a major contribution to the medical school both in its initial years as a three-year medical school, helping to develop the innovative curriculum, and in the transition to the four-year program. In the early years, he flew from Springfield every week to work two or three days in Carbondale.
The School’s founding dean, Richard Moy, M.D., called Dr. Taylor, “a slave driver with good humor.” He was famous for his “Attaboys!” bestowed when one did a great job. However, Dr. Moy recalls that one slip “would wipe out 100 attaboys.”
Dr. Taylor was integral to formulating the content of the medical school’s goals and objectives, a task Dr. Moy calls “a
herculean feat.”
During a 2004 interview with aspects Editor Karen Carlson, Dr. Taylor recalled the challenges of the early days: “We wanted to put ourselves on the map in the face of conservative medical schools and stand out among new and developing schools. In that era of the 1970s, we clearly succeed in education better than most of them.”
Dr. Taylor, with support from Dr. Moy, persuaded the SIU Carbondale president that the medical school needed to recruit its own faculty, not solely rely on community physicians.
He also had a hand in admitting the first class of medical students: 25 young adults from South Dakota, North Dakota and Nevada. “That shrewd maneuver saved our accreditation. The speed with which we developed a regular curriculum showed AAMC that we could handle clinical education as well as the basic sciences. If we could pull that off, it would ensure the future of SIU medical school,” Dr. Taylor recalled, adding, “Still, I was dubious about all of it. Could we do it? We had ‘Yes, We Can’ parties.”
He and the assistant dean, Dave Silber, would have faculty barbecues called “Beer, Bull and War Story Night.”
“Those early years of the medical school were enormously fun — innovating every day was a challenge. Working at SIU School of Medicine was the best job I ever had.”
Charles Richardson, Ed.D.
Dr. Richardson, who served as associate dean on the Carbondale campus during the early years of the medical school, died Nov. 2, 2011, at his home in Carbondale. After earning two degrees from SIU Carbondale, he served on the SIU faculty beginning in 1952 as a lecturer in health education. In 1974, he received a cross-appointment to the brand-new school of medicine, serving as associate dean in Carbondale. He served in the president’s office as assistant provost for Health Affairs beginning in 1974.
“It was very helpful to have an administrative presence in Carbondale.” Dr. Moy recalled. “Charlie regulated the first curriculum and helped establish relationships with the clinical faculty in Carbondale.”
Robert Jackson, Ph.D., who later assumed Dr. Richardson’s position as associate provost in Carbondale, agrees. “There was some resistance in Carbondale to the medical school. Charlie helped persuade the SIU faculty that the medical school would be an asset. He was known in Carbondale as ‘Moy’s voice.’”
Dr. Richardson was always upbeat and liked to joke, recalls Dr. Moy. “He was a great asset for Carbondale.” He became chairman of behavioral and social sciences in June 1983. He also was assistant dean for professional development. He officially retired in 1992.
In an aspects interview printed in 1979, Dr. Richardson said, “Program development from scratch is one of the most exciting challenges academicians can experience. To put things together that work, to try new approaches, to test innovative teaching hypotheses, even to make false starts and have time to change directions in techniques and tactics, are rare opportunities indeed. Our ultimate reward has been success.”
Alan Birtch, M.D.
Dr. Birtch was professor and assistant chairman of the Department of Surgery from 1972-96. He died on December 28, 2011.
An exceptional surgeon and educator, Dr. Birtch worked with Dr. Joseph Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital where the first successful kidney transplant was performed.
At SIU, Dr. Birtch helped build the surgery department as chairman of the general surgery residency program, assistant chair of the Department of Surgery, program director of general surgery, and the first Councilor for the School of Medicine’s AOA chapter. He was director of Residency Affairs for 16 years, started the Human Subject Committee, and chaired the Student Progress Committee.
He was chief of general surgery at Memorial Medical Center and headed its transplantation program, the first in downstate Illinois. Memorial named its transplant program for Dr. Birtch in May 2011. He also helped found the New England Organ Bank and the Illinois Organ Transplant Society, which later became the Regional Organ Bank of Illinois (ROBI), now known as Gift of Hope.
He developed the surgery residency program, wrote curriculum, and also worked to recruit faculty and befriend the community surgeons. In an interview with Carlson, Dr. Birtch recalled, “It would have been easier to do it the way it had always been done, but we all were enthralled with the idea that there might be a new way to teach medical students.” Read the complete profile of Dr. Birtch in last year’s aspects: www.siumed.edu/pubs /aspects/34-3/.