“Having this incredible physical challenge, and at the same time, learning all these cultural facts was amazing,” Dr. Klapheke said of the four-day trek through the Andes mountains, marked by the rich history of the Incan empire. The assistant dean for medical education and psychiatry professor is a veteran climber, who has traversed mountain ranges around the world from Iceland to Nepal. “I just got hooked on it years ago, after my brother climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. I thought ‘that sounds cool,’ so I did it, and I was hooked,” he said.

Dr. Husain is newer to the sport, but was determined to hit the ground running, preparing for his first major climbing expedition. It was a common sight to see the two doctors scaling the stairs of the College of Medicine after hours, toting a heavy camping backpack and hiking poles. Dr. Klapheke led Dr. Husain through six months of rigorous training, knowing the physical demands of the Andes. “Without that training, I don’t think I would have been able to do it, personally,” Dr. Husain recalled. “You have a goal set, and you have motivation. I used every last ounce of my energy to finish.”

Traveling with about a dozen other climbers in a tour group, the duo was sometimes called upon for their medical expertise, helping fellow travelers with issues like gastrointestinal problems and joint pain. Dr. Klapheke finds that the doctor hat never comes off on his adventures, even when it comes to his spirit of inquiry. “In medical education, you always want to learn new things, and explore new things,” he said. “This kind of travel just opens your mind up to an incredible stimulus of sites and challenges.”

Both Drs. Klapheke and Husain talked about entering the “Sun Gate” as one of the highlights of their adventure. The gate is an opening where hikers see the iconic view of the mountain range, and Incan ruins for the first time. “That’s the moment where everybody was hugging and kissing and crying,” Dr. Husain said of the site revealed after an exhausting day of climbing. “It was such a relief and sense of accomplishment that I cannot describe in words.”

Near the end of the trip, Dr. Klapheke was called away for an emergency back home, leaving only a very steep mountain, called “Huayna Picchu” for Dr. Husain to climb. “He climbed it on his own, in support of both of our wishes, and did so in this incredible rain,” Dr. Klapheke said. “It’s really telling of what kind of friend Dr. Husain is.”

The duo plans to pursue more climbing challenges in the future, and will continue to be a fixture in the College of Medicine stairwells, staying in shape for their next adventure.

Why did you decide to become a doctor specializing in pathology – the branch of medicine that deals with the laboratory examination of tissues to diagnose disease?

I’m a visual person. I want to find out why, why a patient gets sick. In medicine there are a lot of areas of gray. Physicians who enter pathology are always analyzing whys and hows. We like to find answers.

Your subspecialty is cellular pathology, specifically the HPV virus that is a chief cause of cervical cancer. Why?

Most traditional pathologists sit in a room behind a microscope. But I love education. My clients are physicians and educating them about HPV is a big part of my life. HPV occurs in very young women and it doesn’t always lead to precancerous conditions or cancer. But over-treatment of young women is very common and can lead to serious complications like infertility and premature delivery. My job is to work with physicians to examine the pathology and make the best decision for the patient and above all to do no harm.

Anatomy Lab is a rite of passage for first-year medical students. How is Âé¶čÓł»­Ž«Ăœâ€™s lab different from traditional medical schools?

In a traditional medical school, you do dissection to learn the structures of the body – where the muscles, bones and internal organs are and how they relate to each other. If students find something abnormal, you don’t worry about it because the focus is on the normal. So anatomy is taught in siloes. At Âé¶čÓł»­Ž«Ăœ, we bring clinicians into the anatomy lab – neurosurgeons, neurologists, primary care doctors, emergency physicians – so students can see the clinical applications of what they’re learning and understand the clinical effects of abnormalities.

Is that more meaningful to students?

Yes. Basic science is traditionally very boring. You read books and go to lab and students can’t wait to get into their third year and deal with real clinical situations. At Âé¶čÓł»­Ž«Ăœ, students see clinical relevance from day one.

What happens if students find an abnormality during dissection?

That leads to more inquiry. We talk about why it’s abnormal. We discuss whether to biopsy our finding. Then I go over the biopsy slide with the students and we discuss why the cell is abnormal and what that means for the patient’s health. There is plenty of time for discussion and individual learning. Our goal is to create in students a spirit of inquiry.

You walk the talk in terms of health. How did you get involved in fitness?

Seven years ago, I went to my physician and I was overweight, my blood pressure was creeping up and my cholesterol was high. My physician said, “I think it’s time for you to start taking care of yourself. And the best way to do that is to exercise first and then watch your diet.” I was pretty pessimistic. I didn’t know if I had the willingness and motivation to change.

So what did you do?

I was at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and my office was about a half mile from the medical school. I made a vow that I would never walk – I would always run between the two locations. No matter the weather. Rain, show, whatever. My office was on the ninth floor. So I vowed I would never use the elevator. I would only take the steps.

And that led to running?

In 2009, the University of Michigan sponsored a fundraising race and my wife said I should enter. I didn’t know if I could even finish. But I got a medal in my age group. After that, I started a running regimen and I’ve been running ever since.

You run up and down the stairs at the College of Medicine with a backpack. Why?

I decided to diversify my exercise. My colleague, Dr. Martin Klapheke, is a mountain climber and last year he said, “Why don’t we go to Iceland?” So I started preparing for mountain climbing. I started running the steps on weekends with my 15-pound pack. I did fine in Iceland so now several of  the College of Medicine faculty are going to climb Machu Picchu in Peru.

How do medical students react to faculty running the stairs as a workout?

I think it’s a source of encouragement for students – and besides, they make fun of us. Sometimes we have six or eight students who join us. The College of Medicine provides a healthy atmosphere – we just wish we had air conditioning vents in the stairwells.

What’s your advice to others about getting active?

I was a pathologist who spent 10-11 hours a day sitting behind a desk and I didn’t think I could do it. But I lost 30 pounds and according to my physician, I’m blessed to be in great health. I believe that exercise promotes production of hormones in your body that make you happy and if you’re happy, you’re more effective.