Five Careers and Eight Airplanes: An Oral History of John Geyman, MD

John J. Frey

doi:10.1370/afm.717

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Best Decision I Ever Made
Ted J. Phillips

Published on: 18 August 2007
A Man for All Seasons
Roy J Gerard

Published on: 13 August 2007
John Geyman as mentor and friend
Roger A Rosenblatt

Published on: 05 August 2007
My privilege in having John Geyman as a mentor
Joseph E Scherger

Published on: 01 August 2007

Published on: (18 August 2007)
Page navigation anchor for Best Decision I Ever Made
Best Decision I Ever Made
Ted J. Phillips, Lopez Island, WA, USA
John Frey has done a superb job of portraying John Geyman, a multi talented man to whom we in Family Medicine are all indebted.
It is a privilege to have known and worked with John since we first met in 1969, when we each had left 6 or 7 years of practice in similar, small, isolated towns to venture into the unknown world of academic medicine. I think John knew much better than I what we were getting into....
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John Frey has done a superb job of portraying John Geyman, a multi talented man to whom we in Family Medicine are all indebted.
It is a privilege to have known and worked with John since we first met in 1969, when we each had left 6 or 7 years of practice in similar, small, isolated towns to venture into the unknown world of academic medicine. I think John knew much better than I what we were getting into. He certainly had a bigger vision of what academic family medicine could be. His gentle nudging pushed me along in that direction and I am forever grateful.
When I accepted the challenge to start the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington, I told Dean Robert VanCitters I would do the job only through the start up years, believing it would take a different person, with other talents, to manage it beyond that. Van subsequently told me many new chair appointees had said that, but I was the only one he had seen actually do it; smartest decision I ever made. The search committee chose John Geyman. The reputation the department enjoys today is the result of his leadership. He recruited and nurtured many excellent faculty who have built on his vision and example. Fortunately, he made it possible for me to grow and continue learning as a member of that group. Thanks, John, for your continuing friendship and inspiration.
And,thanks John Frey, for an excellent article.
Ted Phillips, MD
Competing interests: None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.
Published on: (13 August 2007)
Page navigation anchor for A Man for All Seasons
A Man for All Seasons
Roy J Gerard, East Lansing Michigan 48824
Having read the fantastic essay,I am really envious of not being a resident in Geymans department.I had the opportunity to get to know John through his publications and at committee meetings. His vision and amazing career make me feel very humble.Men of his stature are the reason that Family Medicine exists today.
Competing interests: None declared

Competing Interests: None declared.
Published on: (5 August 2007)
Page navigation anchor for John Geyman as mentor and friend
John Geyman as mentor and friend
Roger A Rosenblatt, Seattle, WA, USA
John Frey does an excellent job of emulating John Geyman's under- stated, aw-shucks approach to a life that touched so many of us in such a pivotal way. John Geyman recruited me from the National Health Service Corps to become one of his first new hires - along with Gabe Smilkstein and Ron Schneeweiss - when he took over as second Chair of our Department. I never knew how lucky I was that this gentle pipe-smoking GP had...
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John Frey does an excellent job of emulating John Geyman's under- stated, aw-shucks approach to a life that touched so many of us in such a pivotal way. John Geyman recruited me from the National Health Service Corps to become one of his first new hires - along with Gabe Smilkstein and Ron Schneeweiss - when he took over as second Chair of our Department. I never knew how lucky I was that this gentle pipe-smoking GP had decided to add me to his team.
Within two years John had asked me to join Ted Phillips and Mike Gordon in launching a new Research Section. I had no idea what that might entail, and neither did John, but with a lot of help from our friends we managed to cobble together a group that has had a reasonable impact on our field and - one hopes - American medicine. It helped that the guy at the helm was the force behind Family Medicine's first research journal, and a consummate and compulsive writer who knew what it took and could teach others.
After way too few years John asked me to be his Vice Chair, and he and I tilted at dragons and wove complex academic schemes and dreams together till he turned the reins over to Ron Schneeweiss. But probably the most memorable escapade was his decision to buy an open-cockpit cloth experimental airplane and fly it to Seattle from New York. All he told me was to run the department while he was gone. I think it took three forced semi-crash landings and many hair-raising experiences before he finally got back. Fortunately, he would come back and run the department himself while they were patching up his plane.
And when I had my encounter with cancer, John was the guy who called me up and made me talk about what I was going through at the toughest times. I had sat with him when he had grueling chemotherapy for his metastatic cancer - and of course he has written about that - and his depth of understanding and empathy resonated and reinforced unlike that of anyone else.
So thanks to both Johns for sharing this portrait with our community.
Roger Rosenblatt
Competing interests: None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.
Published on: (1 August 2007)
Page navigation anchor for My privilege in having John Geyman as a mentor
My privilege in having John Geyman as a mentor
Joseph E Scherger, San Diego, CA
Thanks John for publishing such a great overview with your personal touch to John Geyman. I am most fortunate to have intersected with John during my career. During the recent U-Tube/CNN democratic presidential debate, the candidates were asked about their most important teacher. They all talked about elementary school teachers. I thought about how I would answer that question, and my roll through my education settled c...
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Thanks John for publishing such a great overview with your personal touch to John Geyman. I am most fortunate to have intersected with John during my career. During the recent U-Tube/CNN democratic presidential debate, the candidates were asked about their most important teacher. They all talked about elementary school teachers. I thought about how I would answer that question, and my roll through my education settled clearly on John Geyman.
I was a second year resident at the University of Washington when Ted Phillips announced he was stepping down as department chair. I knew John a little and that as Vice Chair at UC Davis, he might be movable. I had the nerve to call him the day Ted announced and always felt I had a small part to play in his coming to UW. While at UW as I finished residency, John gave me the most important advice of my career. He taught me to balance practice and academics. He steered me away from a top resident position at AAFP to become the first resident board member of STFM. My combined practice and academic career was aided by John's direction and encouragement. His many writings continue to be an inspiration to me. Most recently, he has helped me get back on the National Health Program model after being lured into the managed competition model which has failed due to business/profit interests.
Family Medicine has had many great founders and scholars. To me, John Geyman is at the top of the list. His writings are immortal. I only wish he was.
Competing interests: None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.