Progress Medels

Progress Medal 2007 is awarded to
Dr. John P Gearhart

MD, FAAP,
Director - Professor, Division of Paediatric Urology,
The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute,
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA

I met Prof. John Phillip Gearhart while in Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH), London in 1995. He was visiting the United Kingdom on an Anglo-American Visiting Professor Teaching Scholarship to receive the Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine. He had combined his visit with a mission to hunt for an ancient Egyptian sculpture depicting a child with bladder exstrophy in various British Museums.

Prof. Gearhart completed his M.D. with Honors from the University of Lousville School of Medicine in the year 1975 followed by residency in Urology and Chief Residentship from Medical College of Georgia. He did Fellowship in Paediatric Urology first at Alder Hey Children’s hospital, Liverpool and then at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore. He was appointed Instructor of Paediatric Urology and rose to the rank of Director-Professor, an appointment which he presently holds. He has served on a number of special committees, including Professorial Promotions Committee at Harvard University School of Medicine, Cornell University School of Medicine, special advisor to National Health Service (England) on bladder exstrophy and Dean’s Committee on Faculty Compensation, Education, Values and Rewards at the Hopkins.

Prof. Gearhart is a visiting Professor to a number of Universities around the Globe and has delivered many prestigious orations, incuding, Oration of the Asian Society for Paediatric Urology at New Delhi in 1998, the First J. Herbert Johnston Memorial Lecture of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons in Liverpool in 2004 and the first Charles J. Devine Memorial Lecture at American Urological Association, Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons meeting in May 21, 2007, to name a few. He has mentored a number of Clincial and Research Fellows at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine many of whom are serving as Chiefs of Paediatric Urology in prestigious institutions in the United States and abroad. A prolific writer and an astounding orator, John has over 250 publications, more than 50 chapters in textbooks and has delivered over 350 research and clinical papers around the World.

After founding the Indian and Asian societies for Paediatric Urology we held the first joint meeting at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi on February 2-3, 1998. John was the natural choice for the visiting Professorship as the theme of the workshop was Bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex. The first edition of the educational manual of Progress in Paediatric Urology was also released the same year. John has been the founding member of its editorial board and has actively participated in the selection of topics, identification of authors and article reviews for its editions.

I am also witness to the untiring energy which he exudes while at work at Hopkins. Although, a strict disciplinarian, yet, John enjoys a very affectionate rapport with his younger colleagues and fellows not only in his department but in the entire Hopkin’s fraternity. His department is one of the major contributors to the Dean’s fund which is responsible for running the academic activity in that institution. Being an accomplished academician, eminent teacher, skilful surgeon and renowned scholar the, editorial board of Progress in Paediatric Urology feels honoured to dedicate this volume to Prof. John Phillip Gearhart, MD.

A tribute by Minu Bajpai, MD, MS, MCh, PhD, National Board, Fulbright Scholar.