Bernard Gersh, MB, ChB, DPhil, strikes balance between teaching, investigation and active clinical work

Wildlife photography, biking and skiing are some of the leisure activities Gersh enjoys in his downtime.

When outside of medicine and academia, Bernard Gersh, MB, ChB, DPhil, is an avid reader and pursues a variety of outdoor hobbies.

Gersh currently serves as a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gersh received his MB, ChB from the University of Cape Town and eventually obtained a doctorate in philosophy from Oxford University. Gersh also previously served as the W. Proctor Harvey Teaching Professor of Cardiology and as chief of cardiology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Bernard Gersh, MB, ChB, DPhil Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. Former W. Proctor Harvey Teaching Professor of Cardiology and Chief of Cardiology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Member, Arrhythmia Disorders section of Cardiology Today’s Editorial Board.

Gersh has written and published prolifically, penning more than 650 articles and 125 book chapters during his career. He is also the editor of 11 books and sits on the editorial boards of 25 scholarly journals, including Circulation, Journal of the American College of Cardiology and European Heart Journal. Gersh is also a past chairman of the council of clinical cardiology of the American Heart Association, as well as a former member of the board of trustees of ACC. He currently chairs the World Health Organization Cardiovascular Working Group on ICD 11 Reclassification.

Gersh has also accumulated a number of academic and teaching honors throughout his career, including the teacher of the year award from the division of cardiovascular diseases at the Mayo Clinic, the Hatter Award for the Advancement of Cardiovascular Sciences from University College London and the University of Cape Town. Gersh has also lectured internationally and has held numerous visiting professorships at a variety of academic institutions.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not practicing medicine?

My major interest is downhill skiing. I also enjoy hiking and biking in the summer. I’m a novice fly fisherman and enjoy fly fishing. I also love to read. Another great interest of mine is wildlife and bird photography.

If you hadn’t gone into cardiology or medicine, what would you have done?

I probably would have gone into the family business. My family business had interests all over South Africa, although it is no longer in existence. If I had not gone into medicine, I also might have gone into wildlife management.

What would you consider one of your biggest successes in your specialty?

I have published extensively in a wide range of areas and have been able to maintain a wide range of interests. Being able to combine active clinical work with an investigative career has been very satisfying to me. I have also been able to maintain a major commitment to education.

What is the last book you read/art collection you saw/CD you bought? Why, and what did you think of it?

I have just finished a book called The Imperial Journey about Theodore Roosevelt and American foreign policy in Asia. Immediately prior to that, I finished a book called A Wild Life about conservation in South Africa. The other book that I just finished was about the John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns called Game Change, which was fascinating. I also liked The Terminal Spy, which was about the KGB agent who was recently poisoned in London.

The last art exhibit I saw was the 200th anniversary of Lord Nelson and his victory at Trafalgar. I saw that at the Royal Maritime museum in England. Prior to that, the last one I saw was the Mir exhibition when it came to the United States several years ago. They were both terrific.

The last CD I purchased was Take Back the City by the British rock group Snow Patrol. My taste in music is very eclectic. I like classic rock, Spanish flamenco music and Spanish symphonies. I also like country, and I’m very keen on a lot of the really good African bands that come out of South Africa and the Congo.

Who do you most admire, and what would you ask that person if you had five minutes with him/her?

One of the most interesting people I’ve ever met and had the opportunity to speak with was Sen. John Glenn. I’d also like to spend time with any of our last three presidents, although there is not a lot I admire in politics. I would also like to meet a guy named Greg Mortenson, who wrote an incredible book called Three Cups of Tea. He is a mountain climber who is building schools for girls in Northern Pakistan, and he sounds like a most amazing and committed guy. I’d also like to spend some time with a writer named John Krakauer, who writes a lot about climbing and other fascinating topics.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I ever received was from my late father, who was a very ethical businessman. He once said that if you ever think you have a conflict of interest, you do have a conflict of interest, and therefore, all that remains is how you deal with it. It was a lesson in honesty from a simple, clever and self-made man. It has really driven me — that is, the need not to kid yourself, to understand the meaning of integrity and to stick with it.

Who do you consider a mentor?

Eugene Braunwald, MD, and Robert Frye, MD, here at the Mayo Clinic. They have been two really prominent mentors in my professional life. They both taught me a great deal about medicine, about science and about life.

What kind of diet and exercise regimen do you have?

I exercise four or five times per week at the gym with a rigorous one-hour exercise program. I used to run in the summer but knee problems have hindered me. I now bike several times per week in the summer (20 to 30 miles at a time). I watch how much I eat and watch my weight, which hasn’t changed in 20 years. My diet is closer to the Mediterranean diet with a little more meat in it. It is basically meat, chicken, fish, lots of fruit, salad and no desserts. Regular exercise is very important.

What do you think will have the biggest influence on cardiology in the next 10 years?

There is no simple answer for that. We do not know exactly what effect health care reform and the economic climate are going to have, but it could be major. From a scientific standpoint, I think an individual’s entire genome could be available on a chip within the next five years, and how we make use of that remains to be seen. This could be the first major step toward personalized medicine. From a speculative standpoint, it will also be interesting to see what the effect of stem cell therapy is.

What is your favorite travel destination?

I like the Rocky Mountains and South Africa. The South African bush is an important location and an essential part of what I do for my photography hobby. I also enjoy visiting England and Spain.

What is your favorite restaurant?

I eat and like everything, so I don’t really have one. – by Eric Raible