Another giant has left us

I attended a memorial yesterday for a man I have only known for the last two years or so, and I had no idea of his accomplishments until yesterday. Dr. Arthur Elliot was a practicing Urologist in Minnesota and founded what has become one of the major PCa practices and research institutes at the University of Minnesota back in early 1960's. He went on to get a PhD in biochemistry from Purdue in 1969, and in the late 70's he moved to Philadelphia to work for Merck in their vaccine research department. He and his team were instrumental in the development of some of the major vaccines to come out in the 80's and 90's. He continued to work on vaccines after his retirement from Merck, and it's not a stretch to say that his work has saved many, many lives.

He died of Leukemia on June 23.

His son shared this with the gathering: he asked his father why he went into urology instead of some of the more public specialties. Art's answer went something like this: "When I have lunch in the cafeteria, all I hear are stories by the other specialists about patients who don't do what they are told--the cardiac patient who keeps cancelling appointments because 'they feel fine', or the diabetes patient who won't stick to the diet. In Urology, when a patient walks in, they need help, and they know it. They will listen to what they are told and will do whatever they need to do so they can pee again." A lot of truth there, doc.

RIP Art.

What an amazing man and doctor. RIP