Michael Attas

Michael Attas, MDiv, MD, didn't choose medicine so much as it chose him. He was a football player and Psychology student at Baylor University when he applied for a summer job at Baylor College of Medicine. At the time, the college was looking for a student to research the cause of mysterious "mumps" appearing on patients following open heart surgery, and Attas was looking for a way out of a construction job that was planned for that summer. He had no background or interest in medicine, but...See more

Michael Attas, MDiv, MD, didn't choose medicine so much as it chose him. He was a football player and Psychology student at Baylor University when he applied for a summer job at Baylor College of Medicine. At the time, the college was looking for a student to research the cause of mysterious "mumps" appearing on patients following open heart surgery, and Attas was looking for a way out of a construction job that was planned for that summer. He had no background or interest in medicine, but because no one else applied, he got the job.Not only did Attas discover the cause of the temporary condition; his findings were published in a national medical journal that fall. It was the start of a prominent and fulfilling career in medicine for Dr. Attas.Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine with a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease, Dr. Attas practiced for forty years.Alongside his career in medicine, Dr. Attas earned a Master of Divinity. In 1999, Dr. Attas combined his passions for medicine and divinity to found and direct the Medical Humanities program at Baylor University, which offers a bachelor of arts for undergraduate pre-medical students. It is designed to foster an understanding of the spiritual, ethical, economic, and literary aspects of health care. The program was the first of its kind in the nation, and it continues to pave the way for other universities. See less