استادِ استادان زنده یاد پروفسور علیرضا یلدا از نگاه پروفسور فرحناک اسدی (استاد ممتاز دانشگاه راش آمریکا و استاد همکار و افتخاری دانشگاه های علوم پزشکی ایران)

I have known Professor Yalda since July 1969, when I began my internship in the Infectious Disease Department of Hezar Takhtekhabi Hospital, also known as Imam Khomeini Hospital, under his direct supervision and more so, during my annual visits, as a guest speaker of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). I was fortunate and blessed to enjoy Professor’s companionship and to listen to his invaluable and precious life long professional and social advices.
I recall, two years before his demise, at a dinner table gathering, sitting next to him, which was organized by the "lnternational Prof. Yalda Academic Foundation in Medical Sciences" in his honor, he said to me:
“ Always have your Medical Bag packed, you never know where life’s journey is going to take you.” He continued saying that “ You should pack some more tangible items in your bag that represents your top priorities for years ahead. He said to me” In your bag you are carrying your stethoscope, which symbolizes your responsibility to the patients you see everywhere and all over the world”. In your bag, he said “ You are also carrying the code of ethics.” As a physician, he said “ We should look forward to standing up for our patients and be dedicated to providing competent medical service with compassion and respect for them and seek changes for the best interests of our patients. He continued to say “ As a physician, we shall continue to study, discover new medical tools and apply them to advance our scientific knowledge to better serve our patients. He said “ I am pleased of the way, I responded to these codes..” Ethics and professionalisms will give us the solid foundation, the credibility and respect needed to achieve our responsibilities as a physician and as an educator.

I couldn’t agree more with what Professor Yalda, teacher of teachers, had to say to me. I tried to follow his footstep ever since. Professor Yalda, was profoundly kind and compassionate human being, brilliant scientist, beloved educator, ardent proponent of international training in medicine who treated his patients with respect and dignity rather than the disease itself as Sir William Osler had quoted:
“ the good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”
Professor Yalda was a noble physician whose life in years exceeded the years in his life.

One is lost in terms of counting human body, but more than 100.000 are missed in terms of counting wisdom. He is enormously missed.