Reinsch Endowed Lectureship

Dr. James “Jim” D Reinsch was born in Madison Wisconsin in 1946.  He was from a family of 14 children and his father was a practicing physician who soon moved to southern California.  He completed an undergraduate degree in English at UC Berkeley and as he noted on his residency application essay, had an interest in poetry and anthropology. 

He worked as a hospital orderly throughout college, and his interested shifted to medicine a as career.  He was accepted into the third class at the ‘new’ UC Davis School of Medicine and graduated as valedictorian of his class in 1974.  He pursued his internship at the University of Oregon and then returned to become a resident in surgery at UC Davis.  He was proud of being the first graduate of the UC Davis School of Medicine who went on to complete his surgical residency training.

Dr. Reinsch’s interest in surgery was trauma.  He was the first Chief Resident on trauma when the service was established.  As a Chief Resident, he gave a Grand Rounds entitled “Gunshot Wounds” as one of his hobbies was firearms and sport shooting.  He truly was a firearms expert, being both knowledgeable in this field and as expert marksman.  He died in a traffic accident on April 8, 1979, ironically while responding to a call from the hospital.  The crash occurred just two months before the completion of his residency.  In January 1980, the James Reinsch Lectureship was established as a fitting way to remember and honor a friend of colleague who was recognized as a compassionate physician who treated all patients with equal grace and caring.