Celebrating a career home run thanks to team work

Dr. William Wall, MD '70, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, is approaching 50 years at Western University.

He first started as a student in 1964 in the Faculty of Science and continued at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry for medical school, receiving a teaching position with the Department of Surgery in 1977.

This upcoming milestone is important for Dr. Wall, a liver transplant surgeon, as he is committed to medical education and the future of transplantation. "The best part of my day is with the students," he said. "They're bright and inquisitive and their minds aren't cluttered with preconceived ideas."

His pager starts beeping and Dr. Wall quickly responds. He is performing a liver transplant in a few hours and wants to ensure everything goes smoothly for the patient. It will be a sleepless night for the doctor and his team, as they transplant the lifesaving organ. "This is life and death surgery," said Dr. Wall. "For the team it becomes routine, but it's not routine for the patient. They're staring death in the face."

This is a regular day in the busy and dream-filled life of Dr. Wall.

After pioneering liver transplantation in Canada, he has performed nearly 2,000 liver transplants at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), University Hospital. Countless awards and accolades have accompanied his career, the most recent being a Medical Achievement Award from the David Foster Foundation.

For the past three years, students have also named Dr. Wall as the Outstanding Faculty Teacher in the Department of Surgery at Schulich Medicine. He is most proud of that accomplishment, despite being inducted into the Order of Canada in 2009.

Dr. Wall is quick to recognize the impact his colleagues have had on his successful career. "Sure, you've got to have a pitcher on the team, but you have to have a good second baseman who can catch the double plays, and a catcher who can catch the foul balls," he said. "That's what makes a winning effort."

This month, his David Foster award will be placed directly in the transplant unit so everyone, from nurses to physiotherapists to residents, feel a part of it.

With retirement anticipated next year, Dr. Wall is hoping to spend more time with his family.

"I abandoned my family on so many occasions," he said. "I have to make up time with my boys and my wife." He also hopes to improve his golf game and focus on his artwork - hobbies that are clearly visible through his office mementos and photographs.

The surgeon will continue championing organ donation and educating students on transplantation.