Some of my older colleagues, whom I still admire, have undoubtedly contributed to my recognition of the values of the performance of the medical profession. In the period after my graduation, it was Professor Vratislav Schreiber, an experimental endocrinologist, under whom I wrote my dissertation. He fascinated me with his self-discipline and the incredible perseverance, with which he endeavoured to resolve the scientific problems of his age. Another was Professor Josef Marek, probably the best-known living Czech endocrinologist, from whose example I fully understood that clinical medicine is essentially a service for ill people. Coincidentally, we have busts of both professors here at the Health Plus Program.
