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Meet Gary I. Cohen, MD

Jul 02, 2012

Medical Director of the Sandra & Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute at Greater Baltimore Medical Center; Administrative Director of the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research; Assistant Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University; and ASCO Board of Directors member

AC: What led you to oncology?
Dr. Cohen: My grandmother, who had cancer in the 1960s. At that time, nobody ever spoke the word “cancer.” She was the matriarch of a very large, close-knit family, and it really made the family splinter apart because nobody wanted to talk to her about her illness. I thought, “This can’t continue this way.” So when I chose a specialty area after medical school, I decided this was a field that needed work, both scientifically and socially.

AC: What’s the last book you read?
Dr. Cohen: Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese. He’s written a very compelling novel about medicine in the third world. This was also on George Sledge’s list of “best books.” I have to say though, it’s uncommon that I read a novel; most of the time I read nonfiction. Before Cutting for Stone, I read Thieves of Baghdad by Matthew Bogdanos.

AC: What’s your favorite website?
Dr. Cohen: My homepage is CNN.com. I try to get as much news as I can, from as many different angles. Of course I have my bias, but I listen to everybody.

AC: Who is the person you most admire?
Dr. Cohen: Benjamin Franklin. He was like every man rolled into one. He was a patriot, a scientist, he changed the world in so many ways with his inventions, he influenced people with his extensive writing—and he did it all with a sense of humor.

AC: What career could you see yourself in if you weren’t an oncologist?
Dr. Cohen: That’s easy. If I weren’t an oncologist, I’d be a rock star! I wrote about 100 songs and I used to play them with a band. I played guitar, bass, and piano. I’ve often felt that if I were growing up today, where you can write songs, put them on YouTube, and somehow get a following, my life would have been very different—certainly not nearly as enriching, but a hell of a lot of fun. These days, music is just for the comfort of my soul.

AC: What hobbies do you enjoy?
Dr. Cohen: Tennis and golf. I try to play them both, and I play them both lousy. I’m not trying to compete to be the best; I’m just trying to have fun.

AC: Do you have a personal motto?
Dr. Cohen: The most important thing we can do is not feel like we’re above someone, professionally or socially. I try to think of everyone as my equal.

AC: What is your fondest memory?
Dr. Cohen: I’ve been married to the same woman for 41 years, and we have three terrific kids; every one of them has given me joy and happy memories.

AC: What would you say to a young physician thinking about entering the field of oncology?
Dr. Cohen: If you wake up every morning saying, “I love what I do and I really help people,” then you’ll never be wanting of anything. If your work is satisfying, so is the rest of your life.


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