Centenarians may not be quite as unusual these days since people are living longer, but I still think it’s absolutely amazing when I hear of anyone reaching this milestone (or surpassing it). Watching the Willard Scott segment of NBC’s The Today Show is always a thrill!

I’m going to do my own Willard Scott segment here and call attention to an exceptional centenarian, Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner. Dr. Kirsner will celebrate his 100^th birthday on Monday, September 21^st by going to work. Yes, you read correctly. This internationally renowned physician and educator, who has left an indelible mark on the field of gastroenterology, wants to keep to the usual routine that day and practice medicine as he has done for years and years…and years.

Dr. Kirsner’s remarkable life and career (thus far) are chronicled in a newly released biography, GI Joe: The Life and Career of Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner. Penned by colleague and friend, Dr. James L. Franklin, the biography starts in the 1900’s in Boston with the immigration of Dr. Kirsner’s parents from Russia to the United States and takes readers through many memorable milestones before concluding in the 21^st century, where Dr. Kirsner continues to write his own story every day.

It’s not just a medical biography either; there is a love story, and it’s quite romantic. In the fall of 1933, Joseph met his wife, Minnie Schneider – an aspiring ballerina from Des Moines, Iowa – when she was admitted for an ear infection to Woodlawn Hospital in Chicago. As a young intern, Dr. Kirsner was assigned to Minnie’s care, and in his own words, Dr. Kirsner “fell totally in love with her.”  They were married in January 1934 in Chicago, where they settled for many years thereafter. The Kirsners were married for 60 years before Minnie passed away in 1998 after struggling with Parkinson’s and suffering a stroke that cost her vision.

Another interesting highlight – Dr. Kirsner voluntarily enlisted in the Army Medical Corps during World War II and considered it “a sacred duty.”  He returned to the University of Chicago in 1946 where he continued to excel in the field of gastroenterology (both as a physician and an educator), writing textbooks and hundreds of articles, winning multiple prestigious awards, serving as the founder and leader of many important societies on gastroenterology, and spearheading research on digestive disease issues. His expertise even brought him as far as Morocco, where he visited King Hassan II in 1976 to treat the King’s symptoms after numerous other physicians had failed to relieve them. A strong relationship ensued between the two; Dr. Kirsner made more than 50 trips to Morocco to provide medical consultation to the King and his family over the years.

Summarizing the book that archives the life of such an impressive and intriguing man of many years in just one blog post is a challenge — and I don’t really want to steal any thunder from the book’s author either. Pick up a copy of GI Joe to read more about Dr. Kirsner, the man who never considered retirement as part of the plan – and prepare to be amazed.

Do you know anyone who is still working past age 90? 100? Would you consider working that long?

Coming soon: A Special Interview with Dr. Kirsner after celebrating his 100^th birthday!

- Michelle Seitzer