Tosteson says both Federman's encyclopedic knowledge of the Medical School's history and his personal friendships with many of its alumni make him uniquely qualified for this job. She looks forward to working with him even more closely in the coming years. Photo by Liza Green Federman is admired as a staunch advocate for students. Nancy Oriol, associate dean of student affairs, lauds his selfless dedication to HMS and to improving the experience of the School for its students. As a mentor he has inspired, challenged, and modeled the best of academic medicine.
Students offer similar praise.
Students describe how he has influenced them to explore the ethics of a patient's care or the importance of a social history. Vita Federman's major research interest is disorders of sexual development. His 1967 book, Abnormal Sexual Development , has been credited as the first clear formulation of these disorders, bringing order to a disorganized field of study. He was the cofounder and editor of Scientific American Medicine, a unique loose-leaf continuing education program and textbook. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and has served as regent, president, and master of the American College of Physicians.