Dr. Danby was raised in Kingston, Ontario, where he also completed all of his education, graduating with an M.D. degree from Queen’s University in 1967. He did his dermatology residency at the University of Toronto, finishing as chief resident in 1973.
For the next 2 years, he spent weekdays working in his late father’s practice and virtually every weekend in Toronto courting Lynne Margesson, his wife, partner, mother of their two girls and center of his life. He was chair of the Division of Dermatology for 19 years until a number of straws reached the size of a bale — and they bailed — to New Hampshire, where they find themselves far busier than intended. He is happily working well past his intended retirement age of 55.
Q. Why did you choose dermatology?
A. I grew up with my father’s regular stories of the problems his colleagues were having with deans, heads of departments, utilization committees and the like. I wanted to avoid such problems. That aside, I had a “natural feel” for the specialty . . . but I did seriously consider OB/GYN.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. Successful detective work, whether finding an obscure allergen in contact dermatitis or an occult cause of chronic urticaria. I love to find the answers where others have failed.
My father was a past master of one-upmanship, and I guess it rubbed off — though it is sometimes an unpopular trait.
Q. Other than your family, what are you most proud of in your personal life? Professional life?
A. I guess I really do not have a personal life. Just about everything I do is related to medicine and family. Professionally, I could not stop grinning and had tears in my eyes for 2 hours after the initial numbers came back that showed a relationship between milk and acne. I had waited almost 30 years for that.
Q. How do you relax?
A. My kindergarten report card was all “excellent” except for “ability to relax at rest time.” My grade in that was “good.” Things have not changed.
Q. What was your biggest extravagance?
A. I spent $2,500 for an hour-long ride in a 1944 P-51 Mustang during which we did loops, rolls and other fun stuff. I loved every minute.
Q. What is your greatest regret?
A. That I lack the ability to easily converse, sell myself, and persuade others politically and intellectually. I am too frank and too blunt and too intolerant. I couldn’t “schmooze” if my life depended on it.
Dr. Danby was raised in Kingston, Ontario, where he also completed all of his education, graduating with an M.D. degree from Queen’s University in 1967. He did his dermatology residency at the University of Toronto, finishing as chief resident in 1973.
For the next 2 years, he spent weekdays working in his late father’s practice and virtually every weekend in Toronto courting Lynne Margesson, his wife, partner, mother of their two girls and center of his life. He was chair of the Division of Dermatology for 19 years until a number of straws reached the size of a bale — and they bailed — to New Hampshire, where they find themselves far busier than intended. He is happily working well past his intended retirement age of 55.
Q. Why did you choose dermatology?
A. I grew up with my father’s regular stories of the problems his colleagues were having with deans, heads of departments, utilization committees and the like. I wanted to avoid such problems. That aside, I had a “natural feel” for the specialty . . . but I did seriously consider OB/GYN.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. Successful detective work, whether finding an obscure allergen in contact dermatitis or an occult cause of chronic urticaria. I love to find the answers where others have failed.
My father was a past master of one-upmanship, and I guess it rubbed off — though it is sometimes an unpopular trait.
Q. Other than your family, what are you most proud of in your personal life? Professional life?
A. I guess I really do not have a personal life. Just about everything I do is related to medicine and family. Professionally, I could not stop grinning and had tears in my eyes for 2 hours after the initial numbers came back that showed a relationship between milk and acne. I had waited almost 30 years for that.
Q. How do you relax?
A. My kindergarten report card was all “excellent” except for “ability to relax at rest time.” My grade in that was “good.” Things have not changed.
Q. What was your biggest extravagance?
A. I spent $2,500 for an hour-long ride in a 1944 P-51 Mustang during which we did loops, rolls and other fun stuff. I loved every minute.
Q. What is your greatest regret?
A. That I lack the ability to easily converse, sell myself, and persuade others politically and intellectually. I am too frank and too blunt and too intolerant. I couldn’t “schmooze” if my life depended on it.
Dr. Danby was raised in Kingston, Ontario, where he also completed all of his education, graduating with an M.D. degree from Queen’s University in 1967. He did his dermatology residency at the University of Toronto, finishing as chief resident in 1973.
For the next 2 years, he spent weekdays working in his late father’s practice and virtually every weekend in Toronto courting Lynne Margesson, his wife, partner, mother of their two girls and center of his life. He was chair of the Division of Dermatology for 19 years until a number of straws reached the size of a bale — and they bailed — to New Hampshire, where they find themselves far busier than intended. He is happily working well past his intended retirement age of 55.
Q. Why did you choose dermatology?
A. I grew up with my father’s regular stories of the problems his colleagues were having with deans, heads of departments, utilization committees and the like. I wanted to avoid such problems. That aside, I had a “natural feel” for the specialty . . . but I did seriously consider OB/GYN.
Q. What part of your work gives you the most pleasure?
A. Successful detective work, whether finding an obscure allergen in contact dermatitis or an occult cause of chronic urticaria. I love to find the answers where others have failed.
My father was a past master of one-upmanship, and I guess it rubbed off — though it is sometimes an unpopular trait.
Q. Other than your family, what are you most proud of in your personal life? Professional life?
A. I guess I really do not have a personal life. Just about everything I do is related to medicine and family. Professionally, I could not stop grinning and had tears in my eyes for 2 hours after the initial numbers came back that showed a relationship between milk and acne. I had waited almost 30 years for that.
Q. How do you relax?
A. My kindergarten report card was all “excellent” except for “ability to relax at rest time.” My grade in that was “good.” Things have not changed.
Q. What was your biggest extravagance?
A. I spent $2,500 for an hour-long ride in a 1944 P-51 Mustang during which we did loops, rolls and other fun stuff. I loved every minute.
Q. What is your greatest regret?
A. That I lack the ability to easily converse, sell myself, and persuade others politically and intellectually. I am too frank and too blunt and too intolerant. I couldn’t “schmooze” if my life depended on it.
