In May 2014 I received the letter printed below with the caption American Board of Cardiology Committee on Honors and Awards, dated May 9, 2014, and signed by A.J. Alaa Windsor, MD. I was a bit surprised and transiently honored when I read the letter until I got to the second page which indicated that there were actually 3 engraved award plaques: one stated The American Board of Cardiology Award of Honor for 2014 ; another The Distinguished Master Laureate of the American Board of Cardiology , and the third one as Senior Consultant to the American Board of Cardiology . Under each of these was the option to order a number of plaques. Near the bottom of the second page was the following: “Please assist in the funding of this program of recommendation of excellence. Please enclose registration fee of $300 made to: American Board of Cardiology. Please enclose engraving and preparation fee of $70 for each 10″ × 8″ engraved plaque and $15 for shipping and handling of each plaque.” Also at the top of this second page was the following titled: ACCEPTANCE OF AWARD – “I hereby accept the American Board of Cardiology Award of Honor and the designation as Master Laureate and Senior Consultant of the American Board of Cardiology. I promise to continue to uphold the centuries old traditions of excellence and humanitarianism in medicine and shall continue to practice medicine in accordance with the Oath of Hippocrates, the Ten Commandments, and the Golden Rule to treat others as I would have others treat me. And I will continue to always faithfully work to support and promote excellence, education, compassion, kindness and truest humanitarianism in medicine.”
