George L. Engel 1913-1999: remembering his life and work: strengthening a father-son bond in a new time of grief

Abstract

Objective: This essay reviews George Engel's clinical and scientific contributions within the context of a personal and professional biography. An examination of the response to the abrupt loss of human bonds resulting from the attack on the World Trade Center is used to verify Dr Engel's belief that relationship and communication are central to scientific study in the clinical setting and in the practice of medicine.

Methods: Engel's published autobiographical reports, personal reminiscences, and key scientific publications are reviewed in the light of published or broadcast personal responses to the World Trade Center disaster.

Results and conclusion: Dr Engel recognized the singular importance of human bonds to the work of the physician. He described the unity of complex human experiences and basic biological processes. Public and personal grief evoked by destruction of those bonds on September 11 reflects an implicit, universal understanding of the essential human connections between us all. In the work of the physician, Dr Engel proposed disciplined study of those bonds to enrich personal connections, to promote understanding of patient and illness and to sustain the physician through emotionally and intellectually meaningful work. Herein lies the connection between Engel's contributions and the grief evoked by these events.