Dr. Herbert E. Cohn

Herbert E. Cohn, MD, FACS, was an accomplished surgeon, teacher, and administrative leader. He had been a distinguished member of Jefferson’s Department of Surgery for 47 years.

Among Cohn’s greatest joys was being involved in training young people for careers in medicine and surgery. He trained 200 residents and enjoyed watching them progress from neophytes to accomplished surgeons.

Cohn set his sights on a medical career during his teens. He was inspired by the care he received from his own family doctor who treated Cohn for meningitis at 14. The lengthy illness made it difficult for Cohn to finish high school with grades good enough to gain entry to college. With the help of a family friend, Cohn was admitted to Rutgers University and was determined to succeed. He did. He graduated in 1951 at the top of his class and headed to Jefferson Medical College where he received the freshman Anatomy Prize and numerous other accolades for academic excellence before graduating first in the Class of 1955. From 1957-59 he served in the U.S. Air Force and received an Air Force Commendation Medal.

At the time of his retirement, he was vice chair for quality for the Department of Surgery at Jefferson and surgeon champion for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Throughout his career, he had been driven by a deep desire to help people and improve patient care. Knowing he had impacted someone’s life – either student, resident, patient, or colleague – in a positive way was his ultimate reward.

Cohn and his wife, Natalie, resided in Philadelphia and spent summers at the Jersey shore. They had three sons and seven grandchildren. Sons Jeffrey and David followed their father’s path and are Jefferson alumni and practicing physicians, and son Richard is an attorney.