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Manfred Steiner had a successful and productive career as a doctor, helping generations of medical students learn about hematology(血液学). But all along, he had a strong feeling that he should be doing something else: studying physics. At age 89, he has finally realized that dream, earning his PhD in physics from Brown University.
"I am really on top of the world. It's my third doctoral degree, but this is the one I really cherish a lot. made it—and made it at this age," said Steiner in an interview with NPR. "I always had this dream: Someday I'd like to become a physicist."
Steiner grew up in Vienna. When he was just a teenager, he was fascinated with physics. However, persuaded by his parents, he decided to pursue a medical career instead. But during his studies in Vienna, physics stilltugged athim. "When I was a medical student, I used to go to the institute of physics, which was very close to the medical school," he said, "and listen to some lectures about physics there."
When Steiner moved permanently to the US from Vienna, he focused on medicine and hematology, training at Tufts University and MIT. He then became a professor at Brown and led the hematology section in the university's medical school.
It was only after Steiner retired from his career in medicine in 2000 that he was finally able to scratch the physics itch(痒). He started taking classes at MIT. "I had to do a lot of physics classes at MIT before being allowed to start graduate studies," he said.
Steiner worked slowly—he's a grandfather who likes to spend time with his family, and health problems have been a concern—but the credits kept piling up. And before long, Steiner was eyeing yet another PhD.
"You know, it took a long time," he said. "There were very serious health problems in between. But fortunately, I' m here now and I've overcome these problems. "