Class of 1970 Commemorative Biographical Book

S T E V E N E . ( S T E V E ) R U B I N

Address: 10 Sheldon Road, Marblehead, MA 01945 Email: serubin@massmed.org ● Phone: H: 617-285-7523

Alma mater: Harvard College, B.A. (SCL), 1966

Postgraduate Training/Certification: Internship: Osler Medical Service, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1970-71 Junior Asst Resident: Osler Medical Service, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1971-72 Military Service: US Navy, Bethesda Naval Hospital, GMO, 1972-74 GI Fellowship: Massachussetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 1974-76 Certifications: ABIM 1974, ABIM/GI 1979 Fellow of American College of Gastroenterology Mass. And Essex South County Medical Societies Boston Magazine 1990 Nurses Survey—only GI outside of Boston teaching hospitals they would seek out for GI care Spouse or Partner’s Name: Maxine (Stoller) Rubin, Simmons College B.A., Boston University, M.Ed. in Speech Pathology and Audiology (m. 07-30-1972) Name(s) of Children and Grandchildren: Children: Karin Rubin (conservation land manager), Debra Rubin Abramov, (veterinarian) Grandchild: Maya Rubin Abramov Narrative: Wow, but it has been a great ride. Few regrets. Three passages have guided me. 1) Who saves one life, it is as if he saved the world. 2) People go through life trying to please some audience. But once you realize there’s no audience, life is simple. It’s just doing what you know in your gut is right. And 3) Empathy is not shown often enough by physicians. I left Harvard thinking I was going to be an academic and lab scientist. At Hopkins Med I was most influenced and impressed by (the late) Jack Yardley and Ted Bayless. But then the clinical years happened and I met Tums and eventually Verdain Barnes, who had a major impact. During Osler internship late one night in 1970 I recall deciding on the spot that a veinless young woman in sickle cell crisis and DKA should get an IV insulin drip, which I had never heard of and as far as I know was not devised until later. Internship was also marked by a horrific herpes viral illness I got from mouth-to-mouth resuscitation of an elderly leukemic. Upon recovery two weeks later, A.M. Harvey welcomed me back Professional and Volunteer Awards and Recognition:

without commenting on my full beard, which I guess opened up The Johns Hopkins Hospital a bit. In the military at Bethesda I appreciated I had dodged a bullet by not being sent to Vietnam (long interesting story involving The Johns Hopkins Hospital). But it was not until I reached MGH that I realized patient care was my sweet spot and passion. I credit Kurt Isselbacher for encouraging me in that regard. From MGH I also learned a great deal about the negative aspects of academic life. I opened a solo GI practice on my own in the area I wanted to live. I gave very personal GI care to all and particularly went out of my way not to be a “scope jockey” and to treat the welfare patients and uninsured. I was among the earliest advocates and users of anti-TNFs in IBD and had a good number of severe IBD patients in my practice. I also championed treating Hepatitis C patients. But my favorites were the IBS patients that no one else wanted. I must say my psych training in med school came in handy. I developed the use of the HIDA-CCK test to diagnose those cases of acalculous cholecystitis that seemed to abound in my area. I have also come to recognize that bile reflux gastritis can be a significant cause of symptoms. I also got involved in clinical trials of Ursodiol and Carafate. I retired frommy practice when Blue Cross insisted I had to buy my first EMR for $25,000 in order to get paid—I knew there would be more to buy and pay for. I then went on to work several delightful years part-time for a GI physician in mid-Florida, where I got to see many space shuttle launches as a bonus. I consider my greatest clinical accomplishments: diagnosing my mother’s hypernephroma; diagnosing my wife’s PBC at its earliest stage; diagnosing my father’s P.E. while he was in the hospital in MA for something else and I was on Osler with no sleep; and diagnosing a bunch of early pancreatic cancers and uncommon liver problems. At this stage of my life I am blessed with being able to help care for my precocious granddaughter daily, to spend winters in Florida, to read all the books I have ever wanted to, and to spend good times at my local Jewish Community Center exercising and schmoozing. I look forward to seeing all of you at the Reunion--- -I really miss all of you.

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