AAMC Reporter: June 2008

You Can't Change the Wind, But You Can Adjust Your Sails

Stanley Sherbell, M.D., executive vice president of medical affairs at New York Methodist Hospital, began sailing more than a decade ago.

Foremost, warmer weather brings sunnier days, blossoming flowers, and perhaps a beachside vacation. But Stanley Sherbell, M.D., 75, has a narrower vision for the changing season. For him, spring means it's time to set sail.

Sherbell, the executive vice president of medical affairs at New York Methodist Hospital, started getting serious about sailing about a decade ago. Although he enjoyed the leisurely nature of "day sailing" and learning how to work the boat, he said his interest in the sport took a more competitive turn after a few years. He ultimately joined a fleet and now competes in local and regional races and other sailing events.

Away from the waters, Sherbell pores through boating magazines and enjoys maritime-themed literature, such as "Moby Dick" and "In the Heart of the Sea."

Sherbell said it is the thrill of the meets that keeps him out at sea.

"In every race, if you come an inch in front of your opponent right before the finish line, you would do anything to win—even raise your handkerchief to catch more wind," he says. "If you hear the gun go off, that is so exciting."

His boat mates, he said, laugh at this change in events, because when he first began racing competitively with them, he had always insisted it wasn't about winning.

"They always remind me that I used to say that," he says. Sherbell said he also sees many parallels between sailing and life in general. For example, he says teamwork is an important element. Commitment and implementation are as well.

"Judgment and execution are crucial in sailing," he says. "As with anything else, you can have the best plan in the world, but you need to follow through."

—By Elissa Fuchs