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William H. Frishman, MD, distinguished cardiologist, author and educator
Frishman balances practicing cardiology with teaching, spending time with his family and literature reading.
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When not conducting his clinical research and practice, William H. Frishman, MD, said that he strives to bring humor into his classroom while teaching.
Frishman is currently the director of medicine at Westchester Medical Center and the Rosenthal Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at New York Medical College. He was born in the Bronx, N.Y., and received his MD from the Boston University in 1969 as a graduate of their 6-year liberal arts-medicine program.
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Director of Medicine at Westchester Medical Center. Rosenthal Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at New York Medical College. Member, CHD and Prevention section of Cardiology Today’s Editorial Board. |
A prolific writer and researcher, Frishman has co-authored more than 1,000 original research articles, reviews and book chapters. He has also edited, co-edited, authored and co-authored 12 full-length textbooks, including the major text Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapeutics, which will be released in its third edition later this year. He currently serves as an editor of the American Journal of Medicine, Cardiology in Review and the Year Book of Medicine. Frishman has also participated in major federally funded CV research trials as a co-principal investigator, including the Bronx Longitudinal Aging Study and the Women’s Health Initiative.
Frishman has also received numerous awards and recognitions for his work as a medical educator, including the Teaching Scholar Award from the American Heart Association, the Preventive Cardiology Academic Award from the National Heart Institute and distinguished teacher awards from the Association of Medical Colleges and Alpha Omega Alpha.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not practicing medicine or teaching?
My greatest enjoyment comes from my family. My wife and I have three children and six grandchildren who all live close to us. As I did for my children, I attend one school sporting event almost every day. And as a former Bronxite, I am also the biggest Yankee fan there is and can often be found at the stadium with my family and friends.
If you hadn’t gone into cardiology or medicine, what would you have done?
I have always had an interest in European and American history, especially historical biography, and would have considered being a history teacher. I also enjoy American and British humor and would even now consider a career as a stand-up comedian. One of the things my students always say is that they remember my jokes better than the material I try to teach them.
What would you consider one of your biggest successes in your specialty?
Over the last 40 years, I was fortunate to have played a part in the golden era of cardiovascular pharmacology and cardiovascular epidemiology. My medical school, Boston University, has been involved in the Framingham Heart Study, and I’ve been involved in large clinical trials and large epidemiological studies since the early 1970s. I was always able to recruit large numbers of subjects for studies, including most of my relatives, from my old neighborhood in the Bronx.
What is the last book you read, art collection you saw or music you purchased? Why, and what did you think of it?
Since medical school, I’ve been trying to read all of Penguin Publishing’s 1,300 literature classics. I just finished Dostoevsky’s The Idiot and Notes From the Underground. He writes about individuals and interpersonal relationships that are quite pathologic. I would not recommend Dostoevsky for casual summer reading.
Whom do you most admire, and what would you ask that person if you had 5 minutes with him/her?
I’ve always been fascinated by the lives of the American presidents and the factors in their lives that influenced them. I’ve had the privilege of meeting and interacting closely with Presidents Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.
However, I would have liked to have spoken with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr., whom I consider to be the major American leaders of the 20th century. I would have asked Roosevelt what were the influences in his life that helped him to overcome illness; and I would have asked Martin Luther King about the influences that helped him overcome racial prejudice to motivate and inspire all people to achieve tolerance and understanding in a peaceful manner.
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Photo courtesy of: William H. Frishman, MD |
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
From my parents, who always told me to do my best, to treat all people in a fair and respectful manner, and to enjoy each day as a gift from God; and from my former hospital commander in the Army, who said, “unlike clinical practice, where you have to try to bat 1.000, in administration, if you accomplish 30% of your goals and objectives, you are still a .300 hitter.”
Whom do you consider your mentor?
During my medical career, I had four mentors: David Hammermon, MD, my first Chief of Medicine at Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx; Thomas Kilip, MD, and the late Steven Scheidt, MD, both of whom were my chiefs of cardiology at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center; and the late Edmund Sonnenblick, MD, who hired me as a faculty member at Montefiore Einstein, where I worked for more than 20 years prior to assuming my current position. From these individuals, I learned to appreciate the great joys that come with clinical practice, research, teaching, writing and thoughtful administration.
What kind of diet and exercise regimen do you have?
My diet has changed a great deal from my youth; now less fat and red meat, more fish, vegetables and Kellogg’s Special K. I still enjoy eating an occasional plate of cured, smoked fish that has the sodium content of rock salt, but my ice cream and chocolate cake days are over.
What do you think will have the biggest influence on cardiology in the next 10 years?
Regenerative medicine, from the standing base of science, concepts and exploring the potential for cardiovascular stem cell therapy. I had the good fortune of working with Piero Anversa, MD, and his group, who were members of my department. They are pioneers in the field. In fact, Dr. Anversa, Annarosa Leri, MD, and wrote did a book together entitled Cardiovascular Regeneration and Stem Cell Therapy, published by Blackwell.
What is your favorite travel destination?
My wife and I love to visit San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest. Overseas, it’s Paris, London and Jerusalem.
What is your favorite restaurant?
The Kittle House in Chappaqua, N.Y., which has an all-Americana menu and an excellent wine cellar. It is also the favorite restaurant of Bill and Hillary Clinton, who live close by. In fact, Bill Clinton was a patient of our hospital. And it’s not a HIPAA violation to say that, since it was in the newspaper. – by Brian Ellis