Ep 7: Bernhard J. Gersh | From failing first year at med school to Rhodes Scholarship

Today's guest is Dr. Bernhard J. Gersh. He is the Professor of Medicine and past Chair of Cardiovascular Education at Mayo Medical School, as well as Consultant of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Born in Zambia, he went to highschool and medical school in South Africa. After medschool he received a Rhodes scholarship and went to Oxford where he did his PHD in anesthesiology. When he came back to SA, he started his training and learned the nuts and bolts of hands-on clinical cardiology. In 1978 he joined the Mayo Clinic to continue his training. He has remained in their faculty up until the present moment with a short break of 5 years that he spent in Georgetown University in Washington DC. He has been awarded many clinical honors and it’s no exaggeration to say that he’s one of the most renowned cardiologists in the world.

In this interview we're talking about Dr. Gersh's track record, how he evolved from having to repeat first year at medical school to having straight A's and receiving the Rhodes scholarship. Furthermore he gives advice to younger doctors on how to show effort and establish work relationships with senior colleagues.