They might be giants

This year, I learned about the death of two physicians that were pretty important to me.

The first was my pathology teacher, Dr. Guido Majno. In addition to just being a tremendous person, kind and curious... He and his wife wrote the best textbook I've ever read.

The second death was that of my pediatrician growing up, Dr. Thomas Peebles.

Funny, although he followed me from birth to high school, my family never knew about his incredible research background. We learned it in the many obituaries.

It's worth reflecting on their accomplishments and the manner in which they conducted their lives and practice -- especially in this era, when doctors are encouraged to develop their social media presence and be proactive about online reviews.

Would they have used these new tools? Would they even have needed them? Would they have found the idea of trading links to medical stories on Twitter to be interesting? Stimulating? Or maybe distressing, or distasteful?

I never thought to ask them.