I work in one of the top 17 hospitals in the nation for emergency heart attack care.
I worked in the ER of one of the major teaching affiliates of what most folks "in the know" consider to be the finest medical school in the world.If you check my profile and learn where I am you'll probably know which one I'm taking about.
I can say confidently that there is not a single intervention performed there that does not, either directly or secondarily, have Dr. DeBakey's fingerprint somewhere in it.
I'm in absolutely no position to refute that statement.In fact,I have no trouble believing it's true.
I do not think that where a doctor works makes him or her a great doctor.
That's true to a degree,I believe.However,if you knew something about "academic" medicine (which may very well be true of you) you'd know that the finest physicians...the ones who are in it for the healing rather than the glory or the $$$...want to be with other outstanding physicians.They'd rather be second banana...or even fifth banana...to a world famous physician rather than top dog at another hospital.I could tell you a story about the Vice Chairman of the Dept of Medicine at my former place of work.He was second in command to Dr Eugene Braunwald (being in cardiac care,I'll wager that you've heard of Dr Braunwald).I firmly believe this to be true but will spare you the stories I could tell regarding this point.
Rather, I believe that what a doctor does makes him or her a great doctor.
Remove the word "rather" and we'd be in complete agreement.
I work every day among great doctors, who may never be published, and who may never be remembered by anyone but the patients whom they treated. But they are all ferocious patient advocates, and they all invest every bit of skill and knowledge they possess on behalf of their patients.
I,too,have rubbed shoulders with many amazingly skilled and dedicated physicians...many of whom have been published...some of whom haven't...but all of whom are remembered by their patients,their peers and subordinates as being outstanding physicians.
As far as I am concerned, that is what makes a doctor "great."
Yes,a single-minded dedication to the patient's recovery and maintaining (and improving) one's skills in delivering that care is a quality that all "great" physicians posses.
Now let us examine a different facet of the same jewel: At the point of care there are the Journeyman physicians who also challenge themselves with a fervor equal to that of the Discoverer to increase their skill and knowledge, and to improve methods and techniques that have a more immediate impact on the patient's well-being. They do not hold forth great dissertations before thousands of rapt listeners at a time. They apply the discoveries of the great researchers, and perfect what is discovered through the fine adjustments demanded by the astounding uniqueness of each human being. They do this day in and day out, decade upon decade.
There are great doctors in both realms. There is room in this world for both Discoverer and Journeyman. Should there be only either one or the other, this world would certainly be a sadder place for it. Thank God such is not the case!
I for one am glad for the Braunwalds, Kopases and DeBakeys of the world. I am certain that there are tens of millions of other people who are equally glad, even if they have never heard of them but have benefitted, directly or indirectly, from their innovation, knowledge and skill.