Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

108 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION S ince high school andwell into college, Dr. Arnold Diethelm knew he wanted to become a doctor. Dr. Diethelm’s interest in science and education, as well as his desire to help people are what drove him to pursue a career in medicine. Many people who lived in Alabama could not afford adequatemedical care, and he wanted to establish a program that allowed them to receive quality treatment without having to leave the state. His goal was to ensure that patients received the same standard of care at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine as they would at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Diethelm attributes his success to good luck, as he had many special opportunities and attended an excellent medical school. From 1958 to 1965 he completed surgical training at New York Hospital, and he had the privilege of serving with Dr. Murray as a research fellow at Harvard Medical School for a year. He was subsequently asked by Dr. John Kirklin, a cardiac surgeon at UAB, to join the school’s department of surgery. There were no transplant programs on the horizon when Dr. Diethelm arrived in 1967 at the age of 35, but Dr. Kirklin’s leadership contributed to their establishment. The kidney transplant program became one of the largest in the United States, and his and Dr. Kirklin’s work made a difference in the lives of patients in Alabama. In addition to this great achievement, Dr. Diethelm is known as a pioneer in transplantation surgery, having performed the first renal transplant in Alabama. Because of his leadership, the renal transplant program at UAB became highly successful and had one of the best patient survival rates. Dr. Diethelm has utilized his training and the influence of Dr. Kirklin throughout his career. He has been a surgery professor at UAB since 1973 and continues to serve as a member of the Residency Review Committee for Surgery for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. ARNOLD DIETHELM, MD PROFESSOR OF SURGERY EMERITUS The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine Birmingham, AL Millennium Magazine Featured Listee