- College of Medicine Medical
A historic medical exhibit at the UCF College of Medicine features silk sutures and a hypodermic needle from the 1920s, a stethoscope from the 1950s and even the doctor’s office sign from the physician father of Lawrence Kaplan, M.D., one of the college’s volunteer faculty members.
“I lived with all this stuff,” Dr. Kaplan, an emergency room specialist, explained of the vintage medical equipment from the office of his father, Dr. Abraham Kaplan. The senior Dr. Kaplan practiced medicine in the downstairs of the family’s Brooklyn home. “before systems and offices,” his son explained. “When he made house calls, I carried the bag and we ran up and down the stairs.”
Dr. Kaplan and his wife, Lori, a neonatal ICU nurse, donated enough historic medical equipment to fill an entire display case in front of the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center. And they will be donating more.
Dr. Kaplan is an avid story-teller who enjoys talking about the excitement of growing up in a home that contained a world of medical equipment such as old X-ray machines with their special developer room. He said his father’s biggest lesson was showing his son the traits you need to be “a good person,” including integrity, ethics and perseverance.
“My father was a great guy,” said Dr. Kaplan. “He gave me stories that I can relate to patients and to life. Through this display, my dad’s legacy continues to you all.”
Come visit the third floor to see this amazing donation.