Barbara Kadell, M.D. ’63, and D. Gareth Wootton, M.D. ’63, met during their first week of medical school. As anatomy lab partners, Wooten recalls the pair got to know one another over their cadaver rather than dinner and drinks. The couple never dated during medical school but remained the best of friends. Wootton described Kadell as “so beautiful and smart; it was starling.” Two weeks before graduation, Kadell and Wootton realized their time together looked to be drawing to a close. Wootton decided to ask Kadell the unimaginable; give up her internship at the University of Michigan Medical School and follow him to Salt Lake City. She did.
Celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, the couple joined their classmates for a weekend of reconnecting and reminiscing that began at a special luncheon honoring alumni from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) Class of ’63 during Alumni Weekend, Sept. 27–29.
Greeting alumni, Jeffrey S. Akman, M.D. ’81, RESD ’85, Bloedorn Chair of Administrative Medicine, vice president for Health Affairs and dean of SMHS, thanked them for their philanthropy and continued commitment to the GW community.
The Class of ’63, as well as returning alumni who had already reached their golden-anniversary milestone, were inducted into the H Street Society, which commemorates the medical school’s home prior to 1973, at 1335 H St., N.W. “Last year we created the H Street Society to help our alumni stay connected to the school,” said Akman.
“At the heart of GW medical school remains our outstanding commitment to clinical education and training,” said Akman. “It has been our school’s hallmark throughout the years.” Talking about recent medical graduates, Akman said that “our graduates go on to terrific residencies and make a difference in the lives of their patients and the communities in which they live. They continue our legacy.” Later, Akman invited each alumnus to share their favorite memories from medical school.
Performing in Follies, a time-honored tradition where students perform parodies, skits, and choreographed dance numbers, was a favorite medical school memory for many in attendance, including Jose N. Pou, M.D. ‘63. Pou recalled playing the bongos during a reenactment of West Side Story. “I was in my first year and we were learning to do medical examinations,” said Pou. “I began to examine the patient and my professor said to me, “I hope you examine this patient better than you played those bongos.”
David H. Goodman, M.D. ’63, never really left SMHS. A current part-time faculty member, Goodman fondly remembers his classmates and professors. “My favorite memories were carpooling with my friends and Follies,” recalls Goodman. Reflecting on his current students, Goodman described them as an enthusiastic group with a great love for medicine. Goodman’s only regret is “that my students won’t have the time to spend with their patients that we did.”
