I consider creative teaching to lie primarily in the area of individual contact. The British tradition of the tutorial is not often paralleled in universities in the United States. When it does exist, it often serves the purpose of providing help to the less well-prepared student, rather than cultivating the bi-directional interaction with the stronger student, who may already identify with the professor's field of interest.

A one-to-one relationship is indeed of value to the less motivated students, encouraging those of diverse backgrounds to identify with the idea of independent study and to enter domains (academic, professional) that they may have originally considered not open to them. These students often become indistinguishable from those who are initially certain of the paths they wish to follow. In both instances, professor and student learn from each other; it is a two-way interaction. An association becomes a friendship, often lasting far beyond the student's tenure in the professor's laboratory. The differences between professor and student that derive from age, gender, economic status, ethnicity, experience, philosophy, etc., assure that both will be exposed to new ideas and attitudes.

In the tutorial relationship, the inseparability of research and teaching becomes most evident. In addition, the research experience provides material that becomes a part of what the professor discusses in the classroom, adding a personal and dynamic stamp to the subject. A further benefit of the student's exposure to research lies in the cultivation of an appreciation of research and a recognition of its necessity and validity.

I have warm memories of students with initially poor educational backgrounds and records, who went on to become creative scientists and distinguished professors, and of students with strong commitments to professional careers who acquired research skills and went on to use them in biomedical investigation, often in an academic setting. The tutorial interaction between us was basic to the success of the student and rewarding in a lifelong sense to the professor.