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Michael R. Jaff, DO: Vascular medicine specialist with a passion for music
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Michael R. Jaff, DO, has helped pave the road for vascular medicine. Since beginning his career in 1985, he has been involved in founding the Vascular Ultrasound Core Laboratory in 1997, which has become the largest duplex ultrasound clinical trial core laboratory in the United States, and was instrumental in creating the American Board of Vascular Medicine in 2005, an independent organization dedicated to the certification of qualified vascular medicine physicians, among other achievements.
Jaff received his education and training all over the country, from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. Today, he calls Massachusetts home, where he is associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. There, he also maintains the roles of medical director of the Vascular Center and co-director and chair of the Institute for Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care at Massachusetts General Hospital. He has also been involved in countless well-known vascular trials, including SAPPHIRE, CLEVER, ZILVER PTX, HERCULES, MOBILITY and ASPIRE.
A lifelong musician, Jaff said listening — to both music and his patients and colleagues — has helped him become the doctor he is today.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not practicing medicine?
I enjoy music, photography and hanging out with my wife and two daughters.
If you hadn’t gone into cardiology or medicine, what would you have done?
No question about it, I would have been a professional musician. I actually tried it, when I took a year off between college and medical school and played in a band. I sang and played the piano. I’ve always loved music for as long as I can remember. Music is in my family, and I grew up around two parents who were interested in it.
What would you consider one of your biggest successes in your specialty?
My biggest success to date was founding the American Board of Vascular Medicine in the mid-2000s. Prior to that, there was no process for board certification for vascular medicine. To be able to actually come up with the idea, fund it and create something that continues to work is rewarding. Year after year, we have had successful board certification exams. It has been a great advance for the vascular medicine specialty.
What is the latest book you read / CD you purchased / art collection you saw?
The last two books I read were The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, and Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever, by Bill O’Reilly. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was intense, and I chose it because everyone has raved about it for some time. I’m very interested in historical fiction and novel methods of reporting history, and Killing Lincoln was a page turner. I recently purchased Ben Taylor’s new CD. I’m a huge fan of James Taylor, and his son, Ben, has a beautiful voice. The last art exhibition I attended was a glass series by Dale Chihuly at the Boston Art Museum.
Whom do you most admire and what would you ask that person if you had 5 minutes with him/her?
My boyhood hero was Joe Namath, quarterback for the New York Jets. When I was 15 years old, my mom and I ran into him in Garden City, Long Island, at a store. He was wearing a full-length fur coat, and I remember thinking that this would be one of the highlights of my life. If I had the chance, I would ask Mr. Namath a question I truly have always wanted to ask: Did you really think that the Jets, the clear underdog in Super Bowl III, would beat the Baltimore Colts, or was this just bravado?
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Even a fish cannot get caught if it keeps its mouth shut.” My mother told me this when I was very young, and when I follow this and keep my mouth shut the results are always far better than when I ignore this advice and put my foot in my mouth instead.
Whom do you consider your mentor?
Jeffrey W. Olin, DO, truly was my mentor. He was my attending physician when I trained in vascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He taught me how to be a great doctor, and I use the tips he taught me every single day — how to think about complex patients, how not to get lost in the weeds and to listen to what people have to say. He is an incredible physician and his lessons were invaluable.
Jonathan L. Halperin, MD, has also has been a mentor, although, interestingly, I’ve never worked with him. He was president of the Society for Vascular Medicine when I was the president-elect. For 2 years, I observed how he managed issues associated with the organization and navigated his way through different challenges and controversies with incredible easy, humor and humility. I’ve tried to emulate him in my interactions with people. I don’t do it nearly as well, but I think about his approach to handling difficult situations often.
Michael R. Jaff, DO, with wife, Debra, and daughters, Samantha and Carli, in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
Source: Jaff; reprinted with permission
What kind of diet and exercise regimen do you follow?
I exercise at least 3 days a week for about 45 minutes each time. Over the past year, I’ve been working with a personal trainer who has helped me get interested in boxing as a method of exercise and stress reduction. However, I struggle with weight loss and am trying.
What do you think will have the biggest influence on cardiology in the next 10 years?
Unfortunately, I don’t think it will be technology or innovation. Rather, it will be what the government and next president does. On the vascular side, I live in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, where we are much farther ahead in health care reform than the rest of the country. A lot of what’s happening is good. Patients will be cared for better and there will be much more focused interaction between specialties. However, these changes will clearly stress the financial system and force physicians to rethink how they thrive in the new world order. With challenges like this comes tremendous opportunity. At Massachusetts General Hospital, I am working with some smart people to take advantage of these opportunities. The rest of the country needs to do the same.
What is your favorite travel destination?
My wife and I traveled to Bora Bora for our 25th wedding anniversary and it was absolute paradise. My favorite travel destination is Martha’s Vineyard. You all should come and visit.
What is your favorite restaurant?
Locally, it is Ponzu, a sushi restaurant in Waltham, Mass. In the world, it is Le Violon d’Ingres, a small, off-the-beaten-path restaurant in Paris. It’s a beautiful experience and the food is fantastic.