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Endowed chair for radiologist planned MUSC is working to establish an endowed chair in Radiology in honor of admired and respected clinician and educator Stephen Schabel, M.D. It will be called the Stephen Schabel Endowed Chair in Radiology.   Schabel earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago in 1972. After completing his residency at the University of Rochester, he joined the radiology faculty at MUSC. During the next 30 years, he served as professor while taking on various roles within the radiology department, including director of diagnostic radiology and vice-chairman for education.   Throughout his career, Schabel has been a leader in the field and committed to advancing medicine in South Carolina and beyond. As a member of the Charleston County Medical Society’s Executive Committee, the South Carolina Radiological Society, and the American College of Chest Physicians, his contributions to medicine and radiology have been recognized with several awards: the American Medical Association Physician Recognition Award, the Teaching Excellence Award, and he is a three-time recipient of MUSC’s prestigious Golden Apple Award.   Despite all of the accolades and leadership positions, Schabel’s role as an educator has given him the most satisfaction.   “I think about the lessons I learned from Dr. Schabel every day, in both my professional and personal life. He always devoted his best to his students and truly made the student feel as if they were the only person in the room. His passion for radiology and his attitude on life continue to inspire me today and push me to give more than is expected of me as a radiologist and as a person,” said Venna Chandler, M.D., former MUSC student currently practicing in Anderson at the Diagnostic Radiology of Anderson practice.   During his tenure, Schabel helped educate and mentor more than 150 physicians. He has also been recognized with numerous honors from a wide range of civic, academic and professional societies.   “Dr. Schabel’s leadership, dedication to his field and his unforgettable doctrines have made him an icon within the Department of Radiology,” said Philip Costello, M.D., Department of Radiology chairman. “Not many can claim to have passed through this program or any residency at MUSC during the past 30 years without having been affected by his unique approach to teaching.”   Three rules that Schabel ingrained into the minds of many a young physician throughout the years are: 1. Nature loves symmetry. 2. Nature hates straight lines. 3. The most important film is the old film.   “With these three rules, 99 percent of all abnormalities on images are detectable. That’s really all you need to know,” he said.   Endowed chairs are elite faculty appointments that carry a stable, guaranteed source of funding to support the chair-holder’s work. It is the most prestigious honor the university confers upon a faculty member.   A chair is established by a pool of philanthropic funds totaling $1 million, which is then invested into a managed fund. The interest income accumulated is used to cover the chair’s annual salary. Therefore, the initial core portion of the endowed chair fund exists indefinitely, creating a permanent means of support.   Endowed chairs enable MUSC to attract the best educators and researchers in the country while providing a permanent and stable source of departmental funding.    To help establish the Stephen Schabel Endowed Chair, call Terry Stanley at (800) 810-MUSC or mail a pledge or tax-deductible gift to The Stephen Schabel Endowed Chair, c/o MUSC Foundation, 18 Bee Street, P.O. Box 250450, Charleston, SC, 29425.     Friday, Sept. 8, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.