THE ELDER STATESMAN
OF THE ANATOMY LAB
J
BY RON HARTUNG
ames Ellsworth looking over my notes for the dissection that
Cavanagh is as far day, only to look over and see Dr. Cavanagh
from the stereotype of studying the names and faces of the first-year
the puffed-up surgeon students,” Knipe says. “He demonstrated to
as you can imagine, me that in order to be an effective teacher
yet surgery was his and clinician, it is not only important to have
profession for more sufficient knowledge, but also the motivation to
than 40 years. personally connect with others.”
When he retired, he
wanted to do more Dartmouth, M.D. from Harvard, Fellow of the
than just play tennis, American College of Surgeons, Diplomate of
photograph birds or visit his grandchildren. the American Board of Surgery. He has M.D.
So on his last day at Tallahassee Memorial genes. His father, who started out as a banker in
Hospital, he called up Florida State University. Plattsburgh, New York, eventually became an
There was no medical school yet, but there was obstetrician – and was activated in the Army Air
a program that provided a first year of medical Corps in the summer of 1941.
education. He asked whether it could use his
help.
That was 1997. In the 22 years since,
“They assigned him to Tallahassee’s Dale
Mabry Field,” Cavanagh says. “They had
drafted almost all of the local obstetricians, so
Cavanagh has been an unpaid, unpretentious, the townspeople went out to the air base and
unimaginably popular teacher of anatomy at said, ‘Look, we don’t really have an obstetrician
FSU. He’s a favorite of first-year students and around here. Can you help us?”
teaching assistants. He has never asked for
Cavanagh’s dad ended up delivering about
perks, apart from a parking space. And he has a thousand babies during World War II. And,
no plans to stop volunteering his services. for a time, Tallahassee became home. Cavanagh
“Being with younger people is what keeps me
going,” Cavanagh says. “It’s inspiring to me.”
Class of 2021 teaching assistant Joey Knipe
attended Leon High School during the war. He
headed back to the Northeast for college, med
school and residency. He got married, moved
says Cavanagh passes along his passion for to New Hampshire and for 14 years performed
medicine by being personable with each surgery at Portsmouth Hospital. Then came a
student. big change.
“I got a divorce,” he says. “Actually, I got
dumped, to tell you the truth.” What to do
“I will never forget the time before my first
anatomy lab as a TA when I was anxiously
Cavanagh’s pedigree is top-notch: B.A. from
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