As in all cases who we are, and what we become, and what we end up doing is strongly influenced and shaped by the people around us. As health care providers we share privileged intimacies with patients that are unique and raw in their emotional intensity.

As physicians our white coats grant us entrance into the realms of our patient's darkest fears and dreads – a privileged position we inherit from the countless physicians who have preceded us in our profession and whose care and dedication created this atmosphere of trust.

The philosopher Joseph Campbell asked us to "follow our bliss," an idea he derived from the Upanishads. This bliss is shaped by the influences we encounter in our lives. Professional growth and development is one aspect of our lives that is most strongly influenced by our teachers and surroundings. Mentorship in medicine is the most profound guide for self-growth and helps us all "follow our bliss."

I have had the privilege of having Alfred (Fred) A. Bove, MD, PhD, MACC, as one of my mentors. The greatest thing I can say about Dr. Bove is that he is one of the most decent human beings I have ever met, and I would even want my own children to emulate him.

He is an incredible scientist (patented researcher, engineer and publisher of numerous manuscripts), an outstanding clinician, and a far-thinking courageous leader. He is also one of the founding members of the Philadelphia cardiac transplant community and the four University Heart Transplant programs in the city of Philadelphia have a direct connection to his leadership and mentorship.

He exemplifies the classic physician-teacher in that he has always tried to convey the human face of disease; emphasizing its broad sweep and its ravages. He has taught us that our patients pursue each new promise of cure because hope is forever at the heart of the human soul.

Although an extremely accomplished scientist he showed that technology never substitutes for human interaction. He exemplifies that although at times its seems that the science of medicine is threatening to obliterate the art of medicine we must be careful not to let the medium obscure the message.

Even as we struggle with the competing data streams assaulting our consciousness, we must not succumb to the urge to "do something" for the sake of using technology if it does not fit with the needs or desires of our patients.

He has taught that at the crux of all our thought processes should be the patient, and our science should not overrule our reason. In the end, it is the unspoken transactions in gentle human dignity – the occasions when we willingly meet our patient's eyes and conjoin in human touch – that play the greatest role in the well-being of a patient.

No matter how far technology propels us, the common denominator in caring for the sick is human presence. Dr. Bove, my mentor, exemplifies these lofty ideals and truly is a role-model for all of us.

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