Rendon C. Nelson ’80-A
Radiology
Durham, North Carolina
In the fall of 1997, I was in the operating room at Duke University Medical Center, performing an intraoperative ultrasound. There was a photographer there during the case, which didn’t strike me as being too far out of the ordinary. Later, I learned the photographer worked for Time magazine and was writing a feature story about Duke Medicine. I was surprised when the media office called me that Sunday night to inform me that I was going to be on the cover. My mother was particularly pleased to tell all her friends at the retirement home about the magazine cover, not really understanding what I did as a radiologist.
Almost every Tuesday evening a group of my classmates would gather at Baker’s Drive-Thru for the amazing burrito special. There was always a rich and often colorful discussion about our experiences in medical school, and the food was both plentiful and affordable.
Although it is tempting to consider the awards, titles, administrative positions, and number of publications I garnered during my academic career at Emory University and Duke University, I must say, being thanked by a former resident or fellow who appreciated something they had learned from me during our time together eclipses all other accomplishments!
I think I would have enjoyed being an engineer. Much of this notion has to do with my extensive research collaboration with the department of engineering at Duke. This experience taught me a lot about the development of intellectual property and entrepreneurialism, which was not typically emphasized by medical schools in the late 1970s. Medical schools are only now starting to recognize the incredible potential for physicians to succeed in this arena.
Although my parents encouraged all six of their children to play musical instruments, which for me was the piano and French horn, I essentially discontinued my involvement with music performance at the end of my residency when I left Loma Linda. I have always enjoyed music over the years and wish I had continued to participate in the rewarding experience of listening to, practicing, and performing music.
I met my mentor, Geoffrey A. Gardiner ’49, in my first year of medical school at Loma Linda as we both played the French horn in the Brass Society. Although he never really gave me any specific career advice—the way he practiced radiology and medicine and the way in which he lived his life have spoken volumes to me over the years. When I returned to Loma Linda in March of 2020 for my 40th medical school reunion, I had the wonderful fortune of spending time with Dr. Gardiner, who at the age of 95 was absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, my mentor passed away the following year.