J. Maurice Hourihane, MD

This man is the startest doctor (diagnostician) I ever met.

About 20 years ago I was doing my residency in family medicine and had a one month rotation in neurology. During rounds we would present each of our patients to the attending doctors. For new patients we’d give much more detail and include a differential diagnosis of other possible diagnoses as well as why and why not they’d fit that patient’s signs and symptoms. Then a higher level resident would add to the differential and give their reasons. As it climbed the chain of command fewer additional diseases were added by each doctor. It would finally get to Dr. Hourihane. The room fell completely silent. Attendings that were multitasking stopped and gave him 100% of their attention. He would add 5 to 10 additional diseases and explain them deeply. Very often they were diseases that were never even taught in med school. It was amazing.

I later found out that he had been a neurologist in another country and was repeating neurology residency here to practice in the US.

So, when I started practicing I would send him many of my patients if I couldn’t diagnose the problem.

Dr. Hourihane, if you ever read this, it has been my honor to have known you. And thank you for helping my patients.

— James Foit