UH Radiologist Parlays Variety of Discipline into Positive Impact for Patients

UH Clinical Update | August 2024

In becoming a physician, Andrew Myers, MD, thoughtfully took his own path to be sure it was what he wanted – and found the specialty that was best for him.

Andrew Myers, MD

A native of Shaker Heights, Dr. Myers went to Wesleyan University, and majored in geology. But by his junior year he was certain medical school would be the next step.

Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine was one of several schools he considered, partly because of family history. His grandfather on his father’s side was David N. Myers, a philanthropist who was affiliated with the school; it is for him that the David and Inez Myers Chair & Professor of Physiology & Biophysics is named.

Dr. Andrew Myers graduated from there in 1996.

After a number of rotations, he chose radiology as his specialty – partly because it matched his skills. “The thing about radiology that grabbed me is that I remember things best in picture form – I have a three-dimensional memory,” he says. “So it was right up my alley.”

So was the fact that body imaging was so diverse, involving everything from the neck down to the hips, from the lungs to the liver and kidneys.

He also sought a specialty that offered more of a life balance than others, and some interaction with patients.

Dr. Myers knows he made the right choice.

“As a radiologist, there have been many times where I’ve been able to make a difference in a patient’s life, or in the daily life of a clinician,” he said. “Talking with a patient, helping them understand a procedure, what the results might indicate or what they might need next – all that is very gratifying.”

Those times more than balance out what can be the more monotonous side of radiology, with its steady flow of hundreds of CTs and X-rays to read, he says.

And, he adds, “I have so many wonderful colleagues, and being able to live a work life with good people is worth so much.”

Those feelings are certainly reciprocated, notes Donna Plecha, MD, Chair of the Department of Radiology and Ida and Irwin Haber and Wei-Shen Chin, MD, Chair in Radiology, who nominated Dr. Myers for a “Dinner with the Doc” honor.

“Dr. Myers is always available for consults before and after hours…he is very accommodating through his tireless efforts to respond to Radiology Operations to help with requests of referrals, willingness to read cases from other sites whenever his fellow colleagues are falling behind and committed to efficient work efforts in Radiology by reading oldest to newest exams,” she wrote.  “Dr. Myers is not only very skillful, talented and professional, he is genuinely receptive to everyone.  He greets and speaks to everyone at all levels.

She adds, “He also is known for his willingness to balance conflicts with staffing and scheduling issues whether it is within our specific Radiology section, or between the regional locations and the main campus. As the person responsible for assimilating the Radiology regional staff schedule, he often assigns himself at undesirable sites, which fosters empathy, compassion and the respect of his fellow colleagues.”

Dr. Myers says the way he works with colleagues and patients was modeled for him by the generosity and modesty he saw in two important mentors. His former professor, John Haaga, was his mentor for radiology. “He was absolutely brilliant. His mind was all over the map.”

Another mentor was Frederick C. Robbins, who (along with John F. Enders and Thomas H. Weller) was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for their discovery of the ability of poliomyelitis viruses to grow in cultures of various types of tissue." That was a key element that led to the discovery of the polio vaccine. Robbins was affiliated with Case Western Reserve University for more than 50 years.

“When it comes to medicine, Frederick Robbins is the medical Michael Jordan,” says Dr. Myers.

But unlike many superstar celebrities, Dr. Robbins took a humble approach to success.

“Through his medical research and discovery, and importantly, through his humility and calm and thoughtful demeanor, he changed the world,” Dr. Myers says. “He helped forge my approach to life and medicine.”

To nominate a physician for this honor, please click here. The next deadline is September 27.